Monday, November 02, 2009

What I’m Getting Wednesday November 4

Don’t be fooled by the man behind the curtain over there. That is your US Government blowing smoke to make the GDP jump up over 3%. Once again our government is trying to fix the economy and all they have done is pull forward demand and actually credited a false front. A big portion of the “growth” was the cash for clunkers program, which in a few more months will be recognized as a failure. So much of what we have seen as economic growth have been false bubbles, the tech bubble and the home bubbleas examples. We have not seen a failure of capitalism, but a failure of the over abundance of debt that was essentially fueled by the government. The economy is really bad and we are in for some big shocks down the road. Sorry to be such a downer, but realism often is harsh. The government needs to let companies fail and then when we can rebuild it with real value.

On a comic book note the ITablet is almost here and when this becomes more of the norm, will brick and mortar comic stores survive? Will you pass up ownership of a comic if your ITablet can store 1500 books and it is the size of a regular comic? How about if the price of a comic is $2 for the ITablet version? How about if it is $1? The weak economy and high price point when this first comes out will give stores a year or two to decide how to survive and/or adapt and rework their product mix, but many comic fans are tech savvy and this has tons of advantages with the right reading screen. Also I expect the back issue market to collapse even further as buying series to read will be much cheaper digitally, so sell you medium to low end stuff now. The high end and truly collectiable stuff will maintain value.

The books I’m looking forward to most this week are:

Assault on New Olympus – The Hercules title has won me over and I’m a fan of the book, so this start of a new storyline that also is staring another favorite of mine the Agents of Atlas is an easy sell. Inside “Hercules! Spider-Man! Ares! New Avengers! Wolverine! Mighty Avengers! The Agents of Atlas! If there's a bigger event this fall, we don't know what it could be! At long last, the Prince of Power takes the fight to his villainous stepmother Hera and the forces of the Olympus Group -- just as she unleashes the most terrifying threat the Marvel Universe has ever seen! But first Herc has to gather together a star-studded strike force from the ranks of the New and the Mighty Avengers! First on the list: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN! But why is Everyone's Friendly Neighborhood fighting against Hercules? Has he joined the side of the dark gods? It's webs and wisecracks versus Olympian power in this super-sized one-shot! (There will be major property damage, we guarantee.) Plus: The iHerc team proudly welcomes our new INCREDIBLE HERCULES on-going back-up feature... THE AGENTS OF ATLAS, written by fan favorite scribe Jeff Parker! When the forces of New Olympus target Venus, will Jimmy Woo lead his team into the fray for or against Hercules' forces?”

Cinderalla From Fabletown with Love #1 (of 6) – This series should be a blast and Shawn McManus is a great choice for the artist. Once upon a time “Written by Chris Roberson; Art by Shawn McManus; Cover by Chrissie Zullo. When supernatural artifacts from the Homelands begin surfacing in the modern world, it falls to Cinderella, Fabletown's best kept (and best dressed) secret agent to stop the illegal trafficking. But can Cindy foil the dark plot before Fabletown and its hidden, exiled inhabitants are exposed once and for all? And how does her long lost Fairy Godmother factor into the equation? Whether she's soaring through clouds, deep-sea diving, or cracking jaws, Cindy travels from Manhattan to Dubai and hooks up with a handsome, familiar accomplice who may be harboring secret motives of his own. Meanwhile, trouble brews back home in Fabletown when Cindy's overworked, underappreciated assistant decides to seize control of The Glass Slipper, Cindy's exclusive shoe boutique. Writer Chris Roberson (occasional contributor to HOUSE OF MYSTERY and JACK OF FABLES), artist Shawn McManus (SANDMAN, THESSALY: WITCH FOR HIRE) and evocative new cover painter Chrissie Zullo deliver Cindy's first major solo adventure replete with sex, spies and magical shoes.”

Criminal Deluxe Edition – Glad I passed on the trades as this baby is being done up as a hard cover. This volume contains “By Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips This oversized deluxe hardback edition features CRIMINAL books 1 thru 3 -- COWARD, LAWLESS, and THE DEAD AND THE DYING. A fantastically-designed and printed book showcasing the Eisner and Harvey Award-Winning crime comics from the creators of SLEEPER and INCOGNITO. Also features many extras - including a Criminal short story and the never-before-printed five page "movie trailer in comics form" that Brubaker and Phillips created to announce the series online... illustrations, selected articles, behind the scenes looks, painted covers... and much much more! A true collector's edition spectacular from two of the hottest creators in comics, and a must-have for any fan!”

The Great Ten #1 (of 10) – Going in a little blind, but Morrison has terrific concepts and Tony Bedard has done a great job with Rebels, so I have high hopes. Between the covers “Part 1 of a 10-part miniseries! Join writer Tony Bedard (R.E.B.E.L.S.) and artist Scott McDaniel (NIGHTWING, GREEN ARROW) for an adventure exploring the extraordinary characters from the pages of 52 and CHECKMATE! At the dawn of the Chinese Century, the 10 official "super-functionaries" of the People's Republic face their greatest challenge as the gods of Ancient China return to destroy communist rule! Will the most populous nation on Earth drag the rest of the world down with it? Do its heroes even want to save a government that treats them like pawns? Don't miss this tale that redraws the map of the DCU and fleshes out the most exciting and mysterious new characters from the mind of Grant Morrison! Featuring a gorgeous cover by rising artist Stanley "Artgerm" Lau (FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH: DANCE).”

The Mighty #10 – I Read that this book is dying with issue #12. I hope the creative team was given enough of a warning to wrap this up well. The hype “Written by Peter J. Tomasi and Keith Champagne; Art by Chris Samnee; Cover by Dave Johnson. Game time! Alpha One has revealed his secrets to Gabriel Cole. But in the process, has the superhuman regained Cole's trust – or sealed his own fate? There's one more shock hidden in Alpha's lair, and its effects on Cole are about to be… unpredictable!”

Stumptown #1 – Rucka with a female lead, what a shock. It is what he has done best with Queen & Country and Whiteout. This time out a gambling addict who is a great private eye in Oregon, should be fun. The word “Superstar writer Greg Rucka (WHITEOUT, DETECTIVE COMICS) embarks on his first creator-owned series since the Eisner Award-winning QUEEN & COUNTRY! Dex is the proprietor of Stumptown Investigations, and a fairly talented P.I. Unfortunately, she's less adept at throwing dice than solving cases. Her recent streak has left her beyond broke-she's into the Confederated Tribes of the Wind Coast for 18 large.But maybe Dex's luck is about to change. Sue-Lynne, head of the Wind Coast's casino operation, will clear Dex' debt if she can locate Sue-Lynne's missing granddaughter. But is this job Dex's way out of the hole or a shove down one much, much deeper?”

Sweet Tooth #3 – This has fast become a favorite series of mine. The story is great, the artwork is decent and the pacing has been spot on. The pitch “Written by Jeff Lemire; Art and cover by Jeff Lemire. Hunters, cultists, mutants and shantytown pimps all want a piece of Gus, the boy with deer antlers. All that stands between them and him is Jepperd, a killer from the apocalyptic wasteland with motivations of his own. As Gus goes out into what's left of the world, he'll find out that no one is quite what they seem.”

The rest of the list:

Absolution #3 (of 6) - You've seen Gage's work for Marvel, WildStorm, IDW, and others, but you've never seen his imagination unleashed with absolutely no restrictions...Until now. He wants to be forgiven...but he doesn't want to stop. ABSOLUTION introduces John Dusk, a superhero in a world where they're a sanctioned arm of law enforcement. But this veteran hero has been scarred by his exposure to man's infinite capacity for evil, and he's seen one too many perpetrators escape justice. One day he crosses the line... lets a murderer die... and discovers it feels good. In this issue, someone discovers John Dusk's secret, and tries to use the knowledge to blackmail him into killing targets of their choice. Does this mean the end of the road for John... imprisonment... or something far worse? The acclaimed new miniseries reaches a shocking turning point as we are introduced to even more of his allies and foes!

The Authority #16 - Written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning; Art by Drew Johnson and Ray Snyder and Simon Coleby and Cliff Rathburn; Cover by Simon Coleby. Following Kaizen Gamorra's successful surprise attack on the Carrier, the team regroups for a counterstrike. Can Swift, Jack and the Engineer overthrow an army of super beings? And the Midnighter makes an earth-shattering discovery in Northern England...

Batman Confidential #36 - Written by Royal McGraw; Art and covers by Marcos Marz. A new arc titled "Blackhawk Down" begins with a bang as Wayne Industries collaborator Blackhawk Industries has valuable information stolen right under Batman's nose! An investigation leads him to Poland and a giant robot, but The Dark Knight will have to enlist the help of Lady Blackhawk to solve the case.

Batman the Unseen #3 (of 5) - Written by Doug Moench; Art and cover by Kelley Jones. The Invisible Man has gone on a killing spree, and only The Dark Knight can hope to end his reign of terror in issues #3 and #4 of this 5-issue miniseries. But how can Batman stop a man he can't see? And what is the Invisible Man's ultimate goal? Be here to find out as The Caped Crusader finally deduces the identity of the Invisible Man and the villain's next victim: Bruce Wayne!

Captain America Reborn #4 (of 6) - Steve Rogers, the original Captain America - trapped in time! Bucky and Sharon Carter - in the hands of the enemy! As Dr. Doom and the Red Skull make a terrifying pact that could destroy what Captain America means forever! Ed Brubaker and Bryan Hitch bring you the penultimate issue of Marvel’s event of the year!

Deathlok #1 (of 7)Marvel’s ultimate cyborg is back in this 7-issue Marvel Knights limited series written by Charlie Huston (MOON KNIGHT) and breathtakingly illustrated by Lan Medina (FOOLKILLER). In the not-too-distant future, war is a spectator sport, warriors die hard and live fast, and living larger than anyone is super-soldier Lieutenant Mike Travers. That is, until Travers hotdogs it on the battlefield and gets himself and his C.O., Luther Manning, blown to bits. The show must go on. Enter: Deathlok the Demolisher!!!

Doctor Voodoo #2 - Lost, gravely injured and stranded in the low pits of the Everdimensions, Doctor Voodoo is hunted by a brutal living nightmare that holds a festering and contagious self-doubt. Was Jericho given the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme in order to leave our dimension vulnerable to the great evil Agamotto foresees? Or is he the one man with the strength to suppress the coming darkness? The Loas do not listen, the Vishanti cannot answer -- alone Jericho must decide if he is fit to serve. He will soon learn…

Doom Patrol #4Written by Keith Giffen; Co-feature written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis; Art by Justiniano and Livesay; Co-feature art by Kevin Maguire; Cover by Justiniano and Andrew Mangum. When BLACKEST NIGHT falls, skeletons start coming out of the closets — and no one has more skeletons in his closet than Niles Caulder, founder of the Doom Patrol. Caulder has been playing god for years, and the time for a reckoning has come. The Doom Patrol thought they knew darkness. Find out how wrong they were in this BLACKEST NIGHT tie-in issue! Meanwhile, in the Metal Men co-feature, trendy meets grotesque when the robots battle a group of living mannequins.

Ghost Riders Heavens on Fire #4 (of 6) - Hellstorm, the Son of Satan, occult terrorist Jaine Cutter, junior Anti-Christ Kid Blackheart and sword-wielding nun Sister Sara are crossing the country on motorcycles, trying to find a gateway to hell. That's bound to go smoothly, right? Not if the minions of renegade angel Zadkiel have anything to say about it. Make way for the demented return of Scarecrow and Madcap to the Ghost Rider rogues gallery. Better buy two copies of this issue because you're bound to wet one with your tears of terror.

Grimjack Manx Cat #4 - John Ostrander (w) o Timothy Truman (a & c) GrimJack's spiritual search for St. John of Knives leads John Gaunt right to the outlaw saint. In the Cynosure of the past, the origin of the Manx Cat is revealed and its powers are unleashed. GrimJack must now battle demons and agents of chaos as well as a greedy Lord Protector... but he isn't going to have to do it alone!

Haunt #2 - MCFARLANE & KIRKMAN'S HAUNT CONTINUES! Daniel Kilgore is pulled deeper into his estranged brother Kurt's secret life of murder and espionage. Still haunted by Kurt's ghost, Daniel tries to figure out the secrets of HAUNT and his new abilities--all the while, protecting the people around him from the assassins who murdered his brother and set this whole story in motion.

House of Mystery #19 - Written by Matthew Sturges; Art by Luca Rossi and Antonio Fuso; Cover by Esao Andrews. Part 4 of "The Beauty of Decay." Death rules the City in the Space Between, and as the body count rises, mad ghosts learn to do more than haunt. Will Fig and Peter find a way out? And to make matters even worse, the House of Mystery's previous owner has returned to reclaim what's his. Plus, in the short story "House and Home," illustrated by Antonio Fuso (Fear Agent, GI Joe), we learn exactly what Cain has been up to for the past seven years.

Immortal Weapons #4 (of 5) - Tiger's Beautiful Daughter - her beauty is legendary; her kung fu, unmatched. Now learn how one of the most gorgeous women in the world also became one of its deadliest fighters! In a distant dimension, undefeatable men fight wars to protect their beautiful, well-groomed wives, sisters and daughters. But when the men prove not so undefeatable after all, who will stand and fight for her home...and change a world in the process?

Jonah Hex #49 - Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray; Art and cover by Cristiano Cucina. "Six Gun War" part 6 of 6! It's what you've been waiting for! After five months of brutal Hex action, things only get worse for our Western hero as he finally comes face-to-face with his archnemesis, Quentin Turnbull. Bullets will be fired, blood will be spilled, and not everyone is going to make it out alive.

Nova #31- A REALM OF KINGS story! Torn between duty and friendship, the galaxy’s #1 lawman hunts for the most wanted man in the universe: Darkhawk! Determined to bring an assassin to justice, Rich Rider will rocket into the universe’s most dangerous new location: The Fault! Former friends collide in the latest chapter.

Secret Six #15- Written by John Ostrander; Art by J. Calafiore; Cover by Daniel LuVisi. Deadshot takes center stage! He's always been a killer, but now the urge to kill everyone is threatening to take him over completely. Can the mercenary pull himself out of these murderous depths? Or will he drown in the murky waters of his own addiction to death? Guest-written by John Ostrander, whose fan-favorite run on SUICIDE SQUAD helped define Deadshot.

Superman World of New Krypton #9 (of 12) - Written by James Robinson and Greg Rucka; Art by Pete Woods and Ron Randall; Cover by Gary Frank. Humans and Kryptonians are the only two races in our solar system, right? Wrong! Jemm, Son of Saturn, ruler of the super-powered Saturnian race, arrives in Kandor demanding answers to New Krypton's recent actions – answers he intends to get even if he has to fight his way through Commander Kal-El and the entire Kryptonian army!

Witchfinder in the Service of Angels #5 (of 5) - Deep inside an asylum, Edward Grey faces a final confrontation with the mysterious beast that has been terrorizing the streets of Victorian London. Grey learns that sometimes you must use the Devil's own tools to fight him, when he meets up with the young Memnan Saa, the villain from B.P.R.D.: The Warning and The Black Goddess! Mike Mignola and Ben Stenbeck (B.P.R.D.: The Ectoplasmic Man) team up for this long-awaited glimpse into one of the Hellboy universe's greatest enigmas: nineteenth-century occult investigator Edward Grey!
Cover art by Eisner Award-winning Hellboy creator Mike Mignola!

X-Men vs Agents of Atlas #2 (of 2) - The brawl under San Francisco just gets bigger as more mutants arrive to face the Atlas Foundation! Then things take a turn for the weird as the original five X-Men face off with the 1950's Agents of Atlas! All the strangest heroes make for the strangest battle...

I wish DC would make sure that every week has a Blackest Night book in it. I know Doom Patrol is a Blackest Night tie-in, but I mean one of the core books. All in all this a quieter week then last week. The end of the month seems like the big two always have a ton of product. The first week is quieter normally.

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