Previews Issue 307: April 2014 for June 2014

Whether you call it the Comic Shop’s Catalogue or the Best Bathroom Reading in the World, the monthly edition of Previews is just as much a part of my regular geek reading as the comics it solicits. Outright Geekery takes a look into the near future (no TARDIS required) as we touch on some of the highlights of this month’s Previews.

Marvel Comics

There’s not much new stuff dropping in June from the House of Ideas but there are a couple of things that grabbed my attention. First off was a slew of tie-ins to Marvel’s event of the Summer, Original Sin. Fantastic Four gets a tie-in, All-New Invaders gets a tie-in, Mighty Avengers gets a tie-in, EVERYONE (it seems) is getting a tie-in! Of course, this is standard operating procedure for any Big Two Publisher event, and the best thing about it is you either get a better look at characters you love in the context of an event you’re following, or you skip the event altogether and save yourself a few bucks by skipping an issue or two that ties-in to the event. But something wicked and newly sinister this way comes, as Marvel is taking the whole idea of an event tie-in to new lows by having an event book tie-in to itself! While Original Sin is scheduled to be only 5 issues long, June sees an issue 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, and 3.4 also being released, forcing this comic fan to shake his head in confusion. All this is really doing is putting  more pressure on issues 1 and 2 of this event to be amazingly good, because, with so many tie-ins, it’s going to be really easy to say “Screw it!”

Next, and finally, from Marvel (I told it was a weak month for new stuff) we have a book that will easily go under a lot of peoples’ radars, will barely sell enough copies to even justify the book being green lit, and probably belongs in the Kids’ Section of most comic shops. The next installment in Marvel’s Disney’s Adventure Series of titles, Figment #1, launches in the month of June and is noteworthy to me for one plain and simple reason: Writer Jim Zub. I doubt you recognize the name, but Jim Zub has been cranking out one of the funnest, if not oddest, fantasy/adventure comics I’ve ever read, Skullkickers. Zub’s whimsy and unique sense of humor should be a perfect fit for this kind of book, and the mere thought of Zub getting some work over at Marvel gives me hopes that we may see the writer get some work on more mainstream Marvel books. He’d be a great fit for Deadpool, Wolverine and The X-Men, or any number of other “weird” Marvel titles. My fingers are certainly crossed!

DC Comics

DC Comics was equally weak when it comes to anything new actually coming out in June. Their weekly titles Batman Eternal and The New 52 Futures End continue to trudge along, and we continue to see some fallout from DC’s latest event Forever Evil, but there’s not much new stuff to rave about. I did find a couple of gems, however.

DC launches a new book in June titled Infinity Man and the Forever People, as Dan DiDio and Keith Giffen resurrect one of Jack Kirby’s New Gods and brings him screaming into the modern age. I’m sincerely not sure how I feel about this, but I love seeing something so great being used and Dan DiDio may just have the passion to pull this off. I need a bit more info, but you should keep an eye out for this one.

Finally from DC, we have some huge, and much needed, news for the Man of Steel. Beginning with issue #32, which is hitting shelves on June 25th, DC’s hottest writer, Geoff Johns, will be taking over duties on Superman. As if that news wasn’t big enough, longtime Marvel artist John Romita Jr. will be the artist on the title. Anyone who knows comic history knows that John Romita, Senior is synonymous with Marvel Comics, as was one John Romita, Jr. up til news of this epic team-up of creators was announced.  It may be weird to see Romita’s name plastered on the cover of a DC comic book, but a shake-up of this level has been needed on this title for quite some time. Superman should be one of DC’s highest selling books, yet it fails to muster numbers even remotely close to titles like Batman, when Superman, as a character, deserves every but as much quality as good old Bats. Hopefully this breath of fresh air is enough to pull the book out of the obscurity which it has sunk, but it sure has hell isn’t going to hurt it. Look out for this to fly off shelves, so be quick when you got to grab one!

Image Comics

As usual, Image Comics is coming out with a ton of new stuff this month. I cannot begin to touch on all the greatness coming from this publisher month on and month out when it comes to dropping new, different, and uniquely interesting title on readers, I just wish we all had more money to get it all. Be sure to check out your shop’s issue of Previews, or get your own copy you cheap bastard, and check out all the fun. Until then, here’s a few books I thought deserved some real attention.

The creators who brought us great titles like Marvel’s Young Avengers and the epic Indy hit Phonogram bring us a new take on the whole “gods on Earth” scenario, with The Wicked and the Divine. Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie have delivered in the past, and there’s simply no reason to believe this won’t be a spectacular offering from these guys. Bonus, a Bryan Lee O’Malley variant that is sure to be awesome!

From The Walking Dead creator comes a new sort of horror comic. Moving away from the money printing machine that was his zombie fetish, Kirkman takes on demonic possession in the new title Outcast, with artist Paul Azaceta. I give Kirkman a lot of shit but he knows how to write some horror. This should be good.

Finally from Image Comics is That’s Because You’re a Robot, a one-shot written by David Quantick, a writer on the HBO comedy Veep. The solicit promises a “pop-art, cop buddy story set in a near future Los Angeles”, and if that isn’t enough to sell you they throw in this gem: “Two cops, and one’s a robot, only they don’t know which.” Then they’re throwing in the wickedly cool art of Shaky Kane on top of that. Yup, I’m sold! This is going to be a fun joke of a book with some amazingly different art, and is the perfect thing to cleanse the palette of way too many capes, tights, and seriousness. Give this a shot!

Merch

June is a big month for changing the calendar, getting ready for the second half of the year, and preparing for the next. I wish I had something poignant to say to follow that up, but it’s really just a huge month for calendars. Everything from Avengers to Who and anything in-between that your little geek heart may desire is currently available to order. You’d be amazed! Give it a look.

Finally from merch, I have something super special. I was a huge fan of He-Man back in the day, and thank goodness there are companies out there that have realized I will never grow up. This is a fantastically detailed statue of Skeletor’s base of operations itself, Snake Mountain. This is being put out to accompany a Castle Gray Skull statue that will drop in a month or two, and these replicas are well worth the money. Wait. They’re 3oo bucks each?! Maybe not so much…

Well, that’s it for Previews this month. Pick one up at your local comics shop, or check them out here,  and share your favs in the comments!

 

Previews Issue 306: March 2014 for May 2014

Whether you call it the Comic Shop’s Catalogue or the Best Bathroom Reading in the World, the monthly edition of Previews is just as much a part of my regular geek reading as the comics it solicits. Outright Geekery takes a look into the near future (no TARDIS required) as we touch on some of the highlights of this month’s Previews.

Marvel Comics

Marvel Comics in May is all about events. Original Sin, Inhuman, and the return of a certain Spider-Man pretty much sums up the entire 31-day period over at The House of Ideas. BUT. There are a few “lesser” titles worth mentioning outside of these event cash-sinks and “tell-me-again” tales.

To begin, Cyclops #1 hits store shelves in May, and the story of a young Cyke meeting his estranged Space Pirate Daddy is an intriguing premise. Writer Greg Rucka takes Bendis’ fanboy surprise hit All-New X-Men and has some fun with nostalgia himself. Who said this All-New X-Men thing was going to be a flash-in-the-pan Bendis-only playground? Well, that dude was wrong, and Cyclops #1 is set to bring an entire new aspect to that time-traveling tale of the Original X-Men Team. Great writer, good artist, fun premise. This one’s going to be fun!

Kaare Andrews continues to delve into the life of Danny Rand as both writer and artist on Iron Fist: The Living Weapon  #2, and it looks like the creator has a firm grasp on what makes Danny tick. Insight on Iron Fist’s origin is promised, we’re supposed to get plenty of K’un Lun (always nice), but I know, without a doubt, that no matter what this book promises, with Kaare Andrews on art, the book is going to be a beautiful thing to behold. It’s always tough for a single creator to keep a pace on ANY book, but doing so on one that requires such a huge amount of art detail as Iron Fist demands is going to be near impossible for a long run for this creator on this book. So, get it while it’s hot! ‘Cause it won’t last long.

Sticking with the martial arts theme, this fanboy is super excited to see the return of a longtime fan-favorite title, Deadly Hands of Kung Fu starring everyone’s favorite Marvel martial artist, Shang-Chi. This is simply a book Marvel NEEDS to have in their bullpen, just because it’s completely different than anything they currently have going on. Don’t think legendary kung fu action can be cool in contemporary comics anymore? I implore you to read Avengers World #3 and see just how awesome those old kung fu movies can be when translated to comic panels. I have huge hopes for this title being awesome, and, with it only being a 4 issue mini-series, the investment is small enough to make it a safe bet on any given Wednesday in May.

DC Comics

May is a HUGE month for DC Comics and there’s so much going on! New Number 1’s, a new Power Ring, and not 1, not 2, not even 3 but 4, yes, count them 1.2.3.FOUR events in one form or another starting up. Whew! Let us begin.

This is it! The big one! The one everyone’s been talking about! Batman Beyond’s Terry McGinnis makes his New 52 debut in The New 52 – Future’s End! Yeah, the “The New 52” is actually part of the title. They’re making a big deal out of this, and why shouldn’t they? Time-travel is ALWAYS awesome! Right? I mean, it works a lot of the time…man, I hope this is good. This is a weekly, too, Geeks, so that should mean some really quick action, and it sure is a refreshing, if not dramatic, swing to the slow crawl that Forever Evil has felt like. I’m really excited to see where this is going to lead, but, like all books (and especially events) if this isn’t knock-my-socks-off awesome from the very first ish, I’m not going to throw my precious comic book dollar at it for what may be. Although, with Terry in the mix, this is going to be fun.

Hey look! It’s Doomsday. Oh, hey look! It’s another Superman event. I’m not what the count is, officially, at right now, but I think it’s somewhere around 8 Superman event so far since the launch of the New 52. It depends on how you are counting, but it’s still A LOT of event centered around a single character. It may have something to do with sliding sales of Action Comics and Superman-proper, but this may actually be something worth getting. There’s been some creator shakeups on both Action and Superman that have lead to some good changes on each of these books, and Charles Soule has been kicking ass on Superman/Wonder Woman, so there’s a ton of potential here. This event IS going to be four issues just in the month of May, and with the above mentioned weekly event it may be a tough sale for newcomers. But the faithful are going to eat it up. Speaking of events…

Batman: Eternal! I didn’t talk about this title much last month during my Previews review because I honestly don’t know much about this title, and that is on purpose. As someone who writes for a blog focusing on comics I’m supposed to be in the know on these things, but that tends to spoil things to a point. I don’t want to be spoiled at all for this! This book may begin in April but I’m expecting good things, and I wanted to make sure I gave it a mention. Can I swing ANOTHER weekly book in the month of May? No, probably not, but we are currently seeking any and all donations. Barring that, I may not be getting ANY Marvel books until things calm down a bit over here at DC.

Another Green Lantern event begins in May (that’s event number 4) and the new Power Ring shows up in Justice League #31, but that could be said for almost any month in the past few years, and Power Ring is cool, but he’s the least cool of the entire Crime Syndicate. In more important news, Jeff Lemire is finally bringing us Justice League United (not Canada) and I couldn’t be happier about this book finally coming out. The team lineup looks awesome; the creative team is spot-on for this sort of book; and everything about it just screams “awesome”. To my knowledge, there’s an issue #0 of this title dropping a month before this ish hits shelves, but still, keep an eye out for this. Do I really want another Justice League book? No. But, if I have to get one, I’m happy that it’s THIS book.

Image Comics

There’s almost too much to choose from over at Image Comics this month. They just have so many great things coming out, it’s hard to just highlight a few for this article. But, hell, I’m here, I’m typing, I might as well try.

Millarworld continue to pump out product, and the latest installment to the growing library of the creator giant Mark Millar is MPH, the story of a street drug that grants super speed to some youths. Millar’s stuff isn’t usually something I go for, but what I have read about this title makes it seem like it’s going to be a great comic.

Warren Ellis brings another sci-fi epic to the pages of a comic book, nay, a graphic novel, with Trees #1 dropping on May 28th. This looks weird. And that’s why I’m going to be picking it up. I’m a bit worried though, because these sorts of books tend to read better when they are collected. So, this will probably just be sitting in my hold-box for months and months. Don’t look for a review anytime soon.

Next from Image Comics is Marc Silvestri’s fantasy comic Rise of the Magi. I really dig Silvestri when he is writing within his element, and a magical fantasy comic book is the perfect premise for him to write behind. Look for the Free Comic Book Day primer issue of this title dropping this month.

Fan-favorite titles Chew and Revival team-up for a cool, if not awkward, one-shot hitting comic shops on May 28th.

C.O.W.L. issue 1 also looks great, as does Nailbiter #1, and the G-Man illustrator convention comic Tales from the Con. There’s just way too many great books coming from Image Comics this month to get to in this article. Do yourself a favor: Hit up your Indie shelf at you local comic shop, and spend a little time there.

Indie Comics

The 1960’s comic hero is back! Brain Boy: The Men from G.E.S.T.A.L.T., from Dark Horse Comics brings Agent Price back into action. With veteran Fred Van Lente writing the thing it’s not going to be bad.

Boom! Studios is bringing readers Clive Barker’s Nightbreed #1, and Mr. Barker himself has writing credits, along with Marc Andreyko, a terrific writer in his own right.

Finally from the independent publishers, is something completely different, Andre Sirangelo and Gabriel Iumazark on The Last Broadcast from Archaia Comics. It follows a ragtag group of urban explorers as they spelunk the sewers and abandoned dwellings of San Francisco. Then, a twist of mystery as they find an abandoned magician’s bunker. The art looks brilliant, and the story is interesting enough to make this a great pick-up.

Merch

I know I’m repeating myself, but these replicas are just too awesome to ignore. Eaglemoss’ Star Trek Official Starships Collection continues with a Krenim Temporal Weapon Ship from Star Trek: Voyager, and although that was a very important craft from the series, the Enterprise-E debuts in glorious fashion. I. Love. This. Ship. At 20 bucks, there’s no reason NOT to have this in your own fleet of awesome.

From Lionel; yes, the model train people; comes a surprising addition to this month’s Previews review. A Harry Potter replica Hogwart’s Express model train set. Are you kidding me?! This is an amazing piece for any Harry Potter fan to add to her collection, and my wife just may be one of those fans. Are you kidding me?! 400 bucks! Yeah, the wife may have to wait a while for this one.

Finally in merch from May’s Previews, there another beautiful piece from ARTFX+ statues in Kotobukiya’s line, The Avengers Movie Haweye statue. This statue will look great next to the Captain America and Hulk statues that previously hit stores, and it’s only a, relative, cheap 55 bucks. At that price, if you like Hawkeye or want something really nice to show off your adoration for the Marvel mega movie blockbuster, and the films sure to follow, this should definitely be on your shortlist.

I couldn’t let the May solicits go without mentioning that one of my favorite holidays of the year is on May 3rd. Free Comic Book Day is the first Saturday in May, and this year that’s May 3rd. Be sure to make time to get out to your local participating comic book shop on May 3rd, meet and greet with fellow comic fans, wear your favorite costume, and get your hands on some free swag. A selection of comic books will be available for every visitor to participating comic shops, and most shops run great sales and bargains. It’s just a great day at the comic shop, and you need to check it out!

That’s it for Previews this month. Pick one up at your local comics shop, or check them out here,  and share your favs in the comments!

Previews Issue 305: February 2014 for April 2014

Whether you call it the Comic Shop’s Catalogue or the Best Bathroom Reading in the World, the monthly edition of Previews is just as much a part of my regular geek reading as the comics it solicits. Outright Geekery takes a look into the near future (no TARDIS required) as we touch on some of the highlights of this month’s Previews.

Marvel Comics

The House of Ideas Summer 2014 event du jour is Original Sin and the whole thing kicks off in April with a #0 issue. I don’t like Summer events, I’m not particularly excited about the plot of The Watcher being murdered, and I detest #0 issues, especially for events. Not something I’m looking forward to, but it’s going to be huge. Marvel is pushing it hard but there comes a point where you just have to skip an event or two, and Original Sin is one I will be skipping. What I won’t be skipping is another new beginning for a fan-favorite.

One Spider-Man ends and another begins…again! Peter Parker is back, and the Superior Spider-Man is gone. Dan Slott has told a really fun and different kind of story with Superior Spider-Man and I have to admit I’m going to miss it when it’s gone. While I’m still not sold that yet another big change for Spider-Man won’t ultimately be more of the same, Amazing Spider-Man #1 relaunching in April has been a very long time coming.

There’s a lot of #1’s dropping this month as part of All-New Marvel NOW! and as part of the Ultimate line’s latest in a string of reboots, but I wanted to put a focus on a series of What If? titles dropping throughout the month, What If? Age of Ultron. Seeing as how the entire concept of the “real” Age of Ultron event was all about alternate realities brought on by time-travel, it’s entirely possible that each of these alternate versions of the story ACTUALLY took place in some other universe. It’s all quite mind-boggling and gives me a headache whenever I try to think about it, but Age of Ultron started a chain of events that will culminate in something big happening years down the road. They probably aren’t mandatory reading, but the experience may have a nice payoff down the road. Keep an eye out for this one to not suck as bad as you think it may.

DC Comics

The post–Forever Evil fallout hits the DCU and there’s almost too many books to list. I guess they really did mean FOREVER when they said Forever Evil.

The fans asked for it and DC listened! Aquaman and The Others is an actual thing, and it hits shelves on April 2nd. Aquaman is the joke turned superstar, and it shows as he gets his very own team-book full of some truly intriguing characters. If only Wednesday fell on 1st, because the joke isn’t on ole Fishface anymore, it’s on us, the readers, and, unfortunately, our wallets. Dan Jurgens is on writing duties, and I have full faith he’ll do a great job, and Lan Medina’s pencils shined on Fables, so I am really stoked to see what they bring to a team and a backstory that Geoff Johns really only hinted at in the Aquaman book proper. Make room on your pull-lists, geeks! This is going to be a good one.

While the announcement of a 4-issue Batman weekly series, Batman: Eternal, hitting stores throughout the month is big news, I’m way more excited to see that my favorite Flash creative team in the whole wide world will be taking over duties on Detective Comics starting with issue #30. Brian Buccellato and Francis Manapul made Flash a go-to book for me each and every month, and I’m excited to see them wave their wands and pull the trick off again.

I’ll throw an extra one in here for DC because their Vertigo Press line has a great little book that they are releasing quarterly called, beleive it or not, Vertigo Quarterly. The first issue, dropping all the way on April 30th, includes 11+ creators including Jock, James Tynion IV, and Fabian Moon, and promises to tell stories revolving around the color blue, as the name of the ish, Cyan #1, suggests. At $7.99 for 80 pages it’s a hell of a deal. Look out for it.

Image Comics

New from Image this month is Southern Bastards issue #1 from Jason Aaron as he rejoins his Scalped partner Jason Latour for some Southern Fired Stereotypes. Should be fun, and I’m a fan of Aaron’s work. Might give this a chance.

Issue #111 of Invincible, the long running superhero title from The Walking Dead writer and all-around punching bag, Robert Kirkman, promises big changes. Well, it’s about damn time Kirkman! Invincible has been getting worse by the month when it comes out on time. It’s good to see much need attention going to a book that has been slipping.

Finally from Image Comics, comes Shutter #1 by writer Joe Keatinge. Never heard of him? Well, there’s really no reason that you should have, but he’s gotten some work on other Indie press and he’s writing the aforementioned What If: Age of Ultron title from Marvel, and I just have a really good feeling about this guy. The book promises to be “Indiana Jones for the 21st Century” but I’m not letting that turn me off from what my gut tells me is going to be a cool introduction to a writer with a ton of promise. Leila del Luca is on art, and while I have even less experience with her work that I do the writer, but I’m still grabbing this title when it drops April 9th.

Indie Press

Garth Ennis continues his reign of terror over at Avatar Press with the new sci-fi/horror Caliban, and it’s sure to be a gore-fest. Interstellar disaster and an unplanned rendezvous with an alien spacecraft brings a new kind of fear to the crew of the Caliban. It’s gonna be scary, I’m pretty excited!

Takeoff hit Batman ’66 writer Jeff Parker brings the past back to life with Flash Gordon #1 from Dynamite Entertainment. This is the perfect sort of book for Parker, and if his style with this storied character is anything like his Batman ’66 work this will be one to look out for.

Merch

I’ve seen tons of superhero t-shirts in my day but it’s nice to see the Nova Corps getting some love. Nova himself is always getting his likeness plastered on a lunchbox or something, but I like to see the whole team getting some attention.

No toy collection would be complete without this replica Green Power Ranger Dragon Dagger from the original Power Rangers show. Light and sound effects are built-in, but, sorry, it’s not an actual musical instrument. Still, I’d love to have one on display in the Geek Den.

In their attempt to include each and every license under their umbrella of miniature toy figure domination, MiniMates brings us the 10th Anniversary Box Set of Kill Bill MiniMates, House of Blue Leaves. Pretty cool.

That’s it for Previews this month. Pick one up at your local comics shop, or check them out here,  and share your favs in the comments!

Previews Issue 304: January 2014 for March 2014

Whether you call it the Comic Shop’s Catalogue or the Best Bathroom Reading in the World, the monthly edition of Previews is just as much a part of my regular geek reading as the comics it solicits. Outright Geekery takes a look into the near future (no TARDIS required) as we touch on some of the highlights of this month’s Previews.

Marvel

Marvel Comics continues to lay down their brand new batch of comics as part of All New Marvel NOW! To see our full rundown of these titles check out our five part series here.

Superior Spider-Man promises some more Spidey 2099 goodness, as Goblin nation reaches its penultimate chapter. Our money is still on the Goblin being Peter Parker. That’s just Slott’s style.

Marvel is putting its money where its mouth is with this whole Revolutionary War event, and they’ve added a few more one-shots to tie in to the British Epic. I’m not sure the whole United Kingdom angle has the appeal to be successful in the States, but the more I read about this thing the more excited I’m getting. I may just have to check out what’s going down across the pond in the Marvel U.

DC Comics

Forever Evil, ironically as it sounds, ends with issue #7, and the repercussions continue to reverberate through the DC Universe. The Metal Men doing their best Justice League impersonation on the cover of Justice League 29, also dropping in March, is a thing of beauty.

Black Canary and Zatanna: Bloodspell, an original graphic novel, hits shelves on May 21st at 23 bucks. I have no idea how good or bad this will be, but I really like the idea of OGN’s. I hope it’s a trend that continues.

Finally from DC, it’s the end of an era, and they’re ending it in fine fashion. Just look at that art! I hate to see Animal Man go away at issue #29, but if it must at least they’re sending it off in style. Jeff Lemire’s run on this will go down as one of the must-read Animal Man runs in history, and deservedly so.

Image

The multiple Eisner award winning wonder, Stray Bullets, makes a triumphant comeback with Stray Bullets #41, Stray Bullets: Killers #1, and Stray Bullets The Uber Alles Edition collection ish 1-41 of this modern day classic. Do not miss this chance to jump on David Lapham’s sure to be classic continuation.

The Ultimates writer Bryan Hitch comes out swinging this month with a nice take on the super hero genre with Real Heroes #1. Hollywood actors in a super hero movie are needed to save the world. Maybe a bit too much Galaxy Quest with capes, but I’m on board for at least an arc or two.

Finally from Image Comics this month, a couple of OGNs that are uniquely different, yet quite intriguing. Darren Aronofsky, the mind behind Black Swan and The Wrestler, team with Pride of Baghdad artist Niko Hendrichon, to retell one of the oldest stories in history, Noah. This version of that ancient flood and devastation story, however, takes the Biblical epic, mixes in some fantasy and sci-fi, to promise something completely different and beautiful to behold.

And for something completely different, there’s Simon Roy’s Jan’s Atomic Heart and Other Stories, a collection of sci-fi tales that are right up this anthology loving comic book readers alley.

Indie Press

Dark Horse celebrates 20 years of Hellboy with a special retailer incentive marking March 22nd as Hellboy Day. It looks like a poster promo, but, hey, a free poster is pretty freaking awesome!

Another unofficial holiday coming up this month is Avatar Press celebrating the return of series creator Garth Ennis to the sick and twisted world of Crossed. March 25th has been deemed C-Day. It’s a great day for anyone psychotic enough to enjoy the enseeable slurry of sadistic splendor that is the Crossed brand. Box sets, annuals, collections and enough issues to shove down someone’s throat and kill them while laughing with glee. Yeah, that’s Crossed for ya!

Merch

The Official Starships Collection of Star Trek miniatures is back with two great additions to the fleet. A replica of the U.S.S. Dauntless from a pretty good episode of Voyager, and the replica Bajoran Light Ship from a memorable father-son bonding episode of DS9. At twenty bucks a pop these should be sitting on the shelf of every Trekkie this side of the Neutral Zone.

Gentle Giant brings us a badass Iron Patriot 1/4 scale statue made using the original CG scans used to make the special effects in the latest Ironman flick. It’s so pretty!

And finally, the most amazing figure I’ve seen in a long time. An 11 inch tall, full die-cast and ABS, transforming, 30th anniversary special edition Voltron Lion figure set. For 250 bucks it’s well out of my price range, but a guy can dream can’t he?

That’s it for Previews this month. Pick one up at your local comics shop, or check them out here,  and share your favs in the comments!

Previews 303: December 2013 for February 2014

Whether you call it the Comic Shop’s Catalogue or the Best Bathroom Reading in the World, the monthly edition of Previews is just as much a part of my regular geek reading as the comics it solicits. Outright Geekery takes a look into the near future (no TARDIS required) as we touch on some of the highlights of this month’s Previews.

Marvel Comics

All-New Marvel NOW! hits its stride in February with a stream of new number 1’s, as well as old numbered issues rebranded with a huge “1” on their cover. Look out for Outright Geekery’s full preview of every single issue 1 dropping as a part of All-New Marvel NOW! later this week, but there were a few standouts in this month’s offerings.

Superior Spider-Man issue 27 begins a new arc called Goblin Nation, and things are getting serious! Green Goblin’s underworld army takes all-out war to Spider Island, and I just don’t get it. Since when is Green Goblin smarter than Otto Octavius? What could be so meaningful to grant this issue being called “…the biggest event in the entire Superior Spider-Man Saga”? Something major is going down, and the early outrageous guesses put one Peter Parker under the purple hood of the Green Goblin! Could it be? Probably not, but who could have possibly predicted Doc Ock donning Spidey’s web shooters? Is it so far-fetched that Dan Slott wouldn’t do it again? Yeah, maybe it’s just ANOTHER Goblin story, but we really miss Peter, and he’s got to come back sometime, right? Just remember, you heard it here first!

Another noteworthy observation from Marvel this month is the revelation that Rick Remender will be taking over duties on New Avengers and (according to the cover anyways) he’s putting the focus Doctor Strange! Remender + Doc Strange X Illuminati / Simone Bianchi on pencils = Freakin’ AWESOME!!

The Ultimate Universe event Cataclysm wraps up, but we already knew that was coming. What’s truly striking is the lack of any other solicits for any other Ultimate books. Could this really be the end of Marvel’s Ultimate line? Who will live, who will die, and who, if anyone, makes the jump to the 616? Even if you’ve never read an Ultimate title in your life the end of this may just be worth picking up.

On a sadder note, this month sees the end of one of my favorite titles of late, Wolverine and the X-Men. This book has been a ton of fun, and I for one do not want to see it go away. Jason Aaron truly took the entire idea of a mutant school to the Nth degree. I’m really hoping we see these characters and this location again sooner rather than later, but either way it’s been a hell of a fun ride.

DC Comics

The event extravaganza continues over at DC with Forever Evil trudging along, First Contact starting in Batman/Superman and World’s Finest, and Gothtopia takes over way too many Batman titles. But there’s more than just events to talk about over at DC, and there’s quite a bit to be excited about.

Justice League #28 sees the Metal Men jumping into the Forever Evil fray. I’m not sure what they’ll bring to the fight, but I just adore this team, and it’s going to be fun no matter what! Let’s just hope they get to stick around for a while after Forever Evil is over.

The Daily Planet’s favorite reporter gets her own title, in the Superman: Lois Lane One-Shot dropping on February 26^th, and it’s definitely something different. There’s no way that Lois could carry her own ongoing title, or could she? If this is good maybe, we’ll find out!

Supergirl #28 is just spewing crazy-talk as Kara becomes the recipient of, wait for it…a Red Lantern ring! While this is, yes, a kick off to another event, namely Red Daughter of Krypton, this may just be too cool to pass up even for the most seething event hater. A Kryptonian with a Red Lantern ring is going to something worth checking out.

Finally, DC’s favorite disfigured wild-west bounty hunter finds that the present-day isn’t all bad, gets those scars looked at, and modern medicine changes Jonah Hex forever in All-Star Western #28! I’m not sure how many Hex fans like his treatment in the New 52 present, but, by the looks of his plastic surgery, he won’t be going back in time to his old-west origins anytime soon.

Image Comics

The third leg of comics Big Three has a ton of new number 1 issues to talk about, as well as way too many collections to cover here. But those number 1’s look incredible!

Anthony Johnston and Justin Greenwood bring a new crime series with an attitude all its own, The Fuse. The twist? The story takes place on an Earth orbiting colony! 22,000 miles up, there is no backup. Yeah, this looks cool as hell!

Undertow #1 by Steve Orlando and Artyom Trakhanov brings a brand new pulp monster adventure, with a twist on the City of Atlantis that has never been seen before. This book looks really interesting, but it’s not something I see myself picking up for month after month. Give me a few issues, make them good, and give me a payoff. Otherwise, I’m leaving this sitting on the shelf. I’m going to have to wait to learn more about this one.

Another Image issue 1 drops this month, with Jonathan Ross and Ian Churchill’s over-the-top violence in The Revenger #1. A washed-up action movie star finally hits it big, just in time for him to lose everything. The first thing he loses? His damn face! Literally, the first page of the solicit shows a guy having his face ripped off. Yeah, this is going to be cool!

Finally, from J. Michael Straczynski comes Apocalypse Al #1, the story of private detective Alison Carter and a world teetering on the edge of supernatural destruction, and only Al can save the day. Gun-toting imps and zombie detectives are just some of the goodness JMS has in store in this one. Grab it as soon as you see it. This one is going to be fun!

Indy Stuff

IDW has a new release of some of the greatest works the legend Jack Kirby has ever done with Jack Kirby New Gods Artist’s Edition.

The X-Files Conspiracy continues through some of IDW’s books, including TMNT and Transformers. That’s just plain weird!

The “You can’t unsee that shit!” comic of all-time, Crossed, counts down the days until title creator Garth Ennis returns in Crossed: Badlands #50. If you care at all about those no-caring Crossed you’ll want to check this out.

Boom! Studios is all about some Robocop with no less than four tie-ins for the timeless character who’s getting a brand new movie in 2014. I guess you can’t have too much of a good thing, but Boom! is definitely testing that theory.

Marvel Comics current Ultimate Smasher Joshua Fialkov gives us some Indy love with Oni Press’ The Bunker. This is going to sail under the radar, but do not miss it.

And the Merch

The Official Starships Collection of Star Trek vessel miniatures continue as the USS Equinox and a Ferengi Marauder join a slew of others. If you’re a Trekkie and you haven’t checked these out run, DON’T WALK, to your local comic shop!

DC and ARTFX+ has an amazing New 52 Shazam statue dropping, but that’s not all. There’s a companion Black Adam statue dropping soon after! That’s a pretty pair of badass statues!

There’s a cute little Yoda Backpack T-shirt coming out, and it’s exactly what you’d think it was.

Previews Apparel also has a great retro Transformers T that is on my “buy list” as of “right now”!

Do I need a Captain Marvel dress? No, but my wife does!

We end this review of Previews with something especially different. A replica of Nightwing’s Arsenal of crime fighting gear from the game Batman: Arkham City. Hand-finished and hand-painted with the LED action you’d hope for in replica Escrima Sticks. It’s a Limited Edition, as you may have guessed, so jump quick!

That’s it for Previews this month. Pick one up at your local comics shop, or check them out here http://www.previewsworld.com and share your favs in the comments!

Previews 302: November 2013 for January 2014

Whether you call it the Comic Shop’s Catalogue or the Best Bathroom Reading in the World, the monthly edition of Previews is just as much a part of my regular geek reading as the comics it solicits. Outright Geekery takes a look into the near future (no TARDIS required) as we touch on some of the highlights of this month’s Previews.

Marvel Comics

All-New Marvel NOW! begins with fervor in January with a bunch of books getting the renumbering treatment and a few brand new titles joining the Marvel ranks. All-New X-Men #22 see the beginning of the Trial of Jean Grey as the Original X-Men head into space for some galactic goodness. The old school X-gang crosses-over with another Bendis’ written team, The Guardians of the Galaxy, and that should make for some great stuff!

Inhumanity, Marvel’s post-Infinity event of the spring, barrels through the Marvel U with no less than 4 tie-in books, including Superior Spidey and a new book starring the Inhuman Medusa. I’m kind of tired of events after both Battle of the Atom and Infinity, not to mention Forever Evil over at DC, so I’ll be skipping most, if not all, of the Inhumanity. I’m just not very interested.

After decades of legal problems and years of rumors, Miracleman finally comes to the Marvel U in a big time way. The preview suggests two new MM books hit in January, issue #1 at $5.99 and 64 pages, and issue #2 at $4.99 and 48 pages. While these are re-mastered reprints of ‘80’s stuff, they deserve the buzz they are getting. While I’m not jumping on the bandwagon right away, I’ll be looking into these a lot more as January gets closer.

The Ultimate Universe gets closer and closer to being gone as Cataclysm nears its final issue. Are they really going to destroy the Ultimate U? Who besides Miles Morales makes it to the 616 if they do? Things (for once) may truly never be the same. If you’ve ever been a fan of the Ultimate U, seeing its presumed end is going to be worth a read.

Finally from Marvel, we get another British Invasion as Revolutionary War takes its hold on Captain Britain and the rest of the Marvel U from across the pond. With three tie-ins worth of story Marvel is putting some real power behind a seldom used piece of the Marvel U. My bet is we see the same miserable sales numbers the last time Marvel tried to give readers some characters from the UK, but it’s great to see Marvel taking some risks on some really awesome characters. I may have to find some room in my stack for this event.

Look for Outright Geekery’s full preview of All-New Marvel NOW! coming soon!

DC Comics

Forever Evil continues in just about every January DC book as the Blight storyline takes over most of the tie-ins. Things get a bit confusing as figuring out the reading order becomes a chore, but I’m on-board for at least a few issues and surely DC will make following this event a bit easier. I’m not fully sold on ANY of the tie-ins so far, but Forever Evil is going to make a statement in one of these damn books. Figuring out which one is like playing roulette, however, and I’m just not willing to play

Batman events are everywhere as ZERO YEAR and GOTHTOPIA are still running strong. While ZERO YEAR has been surprisingly fun to read, I’m not sure I have room for, yet another, event. I’ll be getting ZERO YEAR and a few tie-ins, but GOTHTOPIA is going to have to prove itself to me. Honestly, I’m really getting tired of events!

The Vertigo line gives fans more of what they love as The Unwritten Volume 2 drops alongside a special edition version of The Sandman: Overture featuring an extra-sized issue and an interview with comic letterer legend Todd Klein. I’m not one for the same old thing dressing up as more of the same thing, so I’ll be skipping any special editions, but fan-favorite The Unwritten getting a second volume is the perfect jumping on point for interested readers, and I’m a big one of those!

DC and Vertigo both are soliciting some great reprints of one of my favorite strips of all time Spy vs. Spy, and I’d be failing as a fan if I didn’t mention it. The Usual Gang of Idiots never fails to impress and make me giggle like a ticklish toddler in a feather factory! A 400 page omnibus for 50 bucks makes me say “Yes Plz!!”

Image Comics

The Third Leg of the comics Big 3 publishers offers 3 new number 1’s in January. Marvel big-leaguer Rick Remender brings his own brand of story-telling to his latest title Deadly Class, a story about a high school for assassins and a kid who just can’t make the grade. Remender has yet to disappoint, and I’ll be pulling Deadly Class from the shelves the moment it hits.

Legend Bob Fingerman returns from a 15 year hiatus as Minimum Wage makes its long-awaited comeback. Edgy, slice-of-life stories and Fingerman’s classic art style make this a book to pay some attention to if not pay some cold hard cash to add to your collection.

Finally, comics mainstay Stuart Moore brings us some sci-fi goodness with Egos #1, a twisted tale of a future superhero with “big sci-fi” elements. I’ll be skipping this simply because I don’t have enough room in my stack, but it’s definitely worth a look.

Indy Stuff

IDW creates its own version of Reeces’ Cups as The X-Files and The Ghostbusters crossover in an unlikely but attractive pairing, in an event that shows more creativity in its concept than most Big 2 events have in 12 issues. This is just weird enough to work!

The great J. Michael Straczynski takes us back to “a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind,” in the new title from Dynamite Entertainment The Twilight Zone. I know I should learn my lesson and stop buying comics taken from licensed properties that have absolutely nothing to do with comics, but this is going to be worth the ride. I may wait for the trade, but I will read this.

Also from Dynamite, Fables creator Bill Willingham goes steampunk with Legenderry: A Steampunk Adventure. This may be good actually, but steampunk isn’t my thing. Worth a look just to check out Willingham on something new and (hopefully) different, but it’s not finding its way into my hold box.

Judge Dredd is all over this Previews with IDW and 2000AD printing tons of new stuff or reprinting classics. It’s a good time to love the Judge!

Attack on Titan is up to book 8 and they are all being reoffered come January 2014. If you haven’t checked out this manga or the anime, what the hell are you waiting for?

And the Rest

The cover to Harley Quinn issue 0 by Amanda Conner now comes in an official t-shirt. It’s my all-time favorite Harley cover!

A 24” Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man looks cool and is just plain fun.

I’ll need some lay-a-way for the Robocop classic figure and the one from the brand new movie hitting next year, both from Play Arts. Dead or alive…

And way too many statues to cover! They do realize everyone is still going to be broke in January?

That’s it for Previews this month. Pick one up at your local comics shop, or check them out here http://www.previewsworld.com and share your favs with the rest of us!