Pull list 22/05/13 - the "Lantern heavy" edition

It's almost like the old days looking at this weeks picks, eleven new books coming out!

It should be a good week for MrGiantwoman, he has four new DC books this week, plus new Deadpool and the second issue of the bizarre (but rather good) Miniature Jesus.

From my point of view Revival is one of those books that just keeps getting better and better, so I'll be settling in with that (and maybe a cheeky glass of wine) this evening.

DC

Batman Lil Gotham #2

Flash #20 

Green Lantern New Guardians #20 (Wrath Of The First Lantern Tie-In)

Green Lantern #20 (Wrath Of The First Lantern Tie-In)

Red Lanterns #20 (Wrath Of The First Lantern Tie-In)

Image

Five Ghosts Haunting Of Fabian Gray #3

Miniature Jesus #2

Revival #10

Marvel

Deadpool Vol #10

Indys

Adventure Time #16 

Adventure Time Fionna & Cake #5 

Pull list 01/05/13 - the "calm before the storm" edition

A nice quiet week, which I can do the before the Green Lantern 1:1 scale replica I am expecting some time in the next couple of weeks turns up. The LCS got a job lot of Green Lantern trades in last week and somehow (no names mentioned MrGiantwoman...) a number have ended up in our box. A quiet day today should give me a chance to grab a couple of those, as I need some GL inspiration for a potential cosplay that is currently in the works...

Once again Image take the lead, although only two books this week are for me, and neither are Image, shockingly. 


DC

Fairest #15 - looking forward to reading Sean Williams new storyline.

Dynamite

Game of Thrones #14

IDW

Colonized #2

Image

68 Jungle Jim #2

Epic Kill #10

Pull list 24/04/13 the "Jupiters Legacy comes out at last" edition

Iron Man 3 comes out tomorrow. I have avoided all teasers, trailers, spoilers, photos, screenshots, you name it! As with Avengers and Amazing Spider-Man last year, I am going in to the cinema tomorrow with a totally clean palette, hoping for an awesome film experience with no preconceptions. It had better be good, I've got the whole day off work for it!

On the comic book front, "Jupiters Legacy" comes out this week. I am excited. That is all. 

Dark Horse

Dragon Age Until We Sleep #2

DC

Before Watchmen Comedian #6
Flash #19
Red Lanterns #19 (Wrath Of The First Lantern Tie-In)

IDW

My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic #6
My Little Pony Micro-Series #3 Rarity

Image

East Of West #2
Jupiters Legacy #1
Lost Vegas #2

Marvel

Deadpool Killustrated #4
Deadpool #8

Indy

Adventure Time #15

Pull list 15/03/13 - the "my money saving plan is finally working" edition

So, a (sort of) quiet week at last. Just in time for New York Comic Con to start announcing guests, and for me to start considering selling internal organs to get back there again this year!

Anyway, before I start sobbing in to my keyboard, this weeks books:

DC

Emily and the Strangers #2
Ghost #4
Start Wars #3 - if we actually get it, seeing as we're still waiting on issue #2!
Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #6
Green lantern Corps # 18 (Wrath of the First lantern tie in)

Dynamite

Game of Thrones #13

IDW

Rocketeer Hollywood Horror #2

Image

Mind The Gap #8 - absolutely cannot wait for this, still my favourite book of the moment
Todd The Ugliest Kid On Earth #3

Marvel

Wolverine #1 - very excited about a new Paul Cornell book, especially taking on a favourite character of mine. This could get expensive though, as I will probably end up buying the regular and Skottie Young covers!

On a different note, this should be a very good week for the comic reading community, as not only have those lovely folks over at Talking Comics got Jonathan Hickman on their show, but they will also have the one and only Matt Fraction coming in for a chat too - well done those guys! I highly recommend checking out their weekly podcast for all things comic related, published every Wednesday with book of the week reviews and lots of listener question and comment.

Right, time for me to delve back in to the world of Dr Wertham, which I am still struggling through chapter by eye-twitching chapter! 

Pull list 06/03/13 -the "split decision" edition

Hmm, seem to have a bit of a two way split between myself and MrGiantwoman as to the top publisher this week, with his five DC titles (well, three, two are for me) equally the tally from my five Image titles. Once again, Marvel fail to even make the billing, with Boom! and IDW slipping in one title each on the sly!

Enough pre-amble, here is the list:


DC

Before Watchmen Rorschach #4 
Green Lantern #18 (Wrath Of The First Lantern Tie-In)
Insurgent #3
Lot 13 #5
Fairest #13

IDW

My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic #4 

Image

Bedlam #5
Epic Kill #9
Lost Vegas #1 
Mara #3
Repossessed #3

Boom!

Adventure Time Fionna & Cake #3 Regular Cover

I am especially looking forward to Lost Vegas, as proven by my going all fan girl about it on Talking Comics earlier today. 

I'm also looking forward to the end of the Before Watchmen series, not for the usual "event dragging on too long" AvX type reasons, but because I've been holding off reading most of them until they are all safely tucked away in my long boxes, so that I can read them all in one. 

The end is nigh!

Pull list 27/02/13 - The "I have no clue what I'm getting today" edition

So, after last weeks debarcle, with no Image books, still no Star Wars #2, and a few others missing to, the list of books to pick up today, according to publishers listing are as follows:


Before Watchmen Dr Manhattan #4 
Flash Vol #17 
Red Lanterns #17  (Wrath Of The First Lantern Tie-In)
Rocketeer Hollywood Horror #1 
Deadpool Killustrated #2

So few that I haven't even bothered listing publishers too, but hopefully I will get a few surprises when I hit the LCS later on today! Only time will tell...

Pull list 20/02/13 - The "trying to save money but failing miserably" edition

Darkhorse

Star Wars #2 - hopefully, as it didn't ship to the UK last week

DC

Green Lantern New Guardians #17 (Wrath Of The First Lantern Tie-In)
Green Lantern #17(Wrath Of The First Lantern Tie-In)
Fables #126

IDW - rumour has it that some or all IDW books will be delayed to next week due to Nemo hitting the US recently, so these will probably have to wait, unfortunately.

Borderlands Origins #4 
Fever Ridge: A Tale Of MacArthurs Jungle War #1 [I think MrGiantwoman ordered this from Previews]
Locke & Key Omega #3 
My Little Pony Micro-Series #1 Twilight Sparkle 
Womanthology Space #5

Image - as with IDW, not expecting to see any Image books in store this week.

It Girl & The Atomics #7
Revival #7
Saga #10
Thief Of Thieves #12

Marvel - yay, actually getting some Marvel books this week. Two to read and one because of Skottie Young again!

Captain Marvel #10
Deadpool #5
Nova #1 Variant Skottie Young Baby Cover

Independents - this has a horrible tendency not to arrive on time anyway, so I won't hold my breath given all the others that are expected to be late

Adventure Time #13 Regular Cover 

Pull list 13/02/13 - The "what happened to the Marvel fan-girl" edition

I have spent my life being a Marvel fan-girl, with a hefty nod towards Vertigo on the side. I'm not quite sure what is going on this week though, with appearances on the list from Image (my new favourite publishers), DC and a couple of smaller, independent publishers but NO MARVEL! You see guys, this is what double (and sometimes triple) shipping titles does, as well as spreading the X-books and A-books so far and wide as to become unappealing.

So, on with the list:

Star Wars #2

Batman #17 (Death Of The Family Tie-In) - looking forward to finally reading all of these before it is spoiled for me, although I fear I will have to fight MrGiantwoman for them.


Batgirl #17 (Death Of The Family Tie-In)

Before Watchmen Comedian #5 - still enjoying this series the most out of all the Before Watchmen, must be something about him that appeals to my hidden in sociopath...

Bionic Man vs Bionic Woman #2 - for MrGiantwoman

Americas Got Powers #5 - as a much earlier review showed, I wasn't really a fan of this series, but as it is only a short run I figured I'd see what happens in the end

Bedlam #4

Todd The Ugliest Kid On Earth #2 - really looking forward to this title, found the first issue hilarious.

All in all, a fairly quiet week again, but as we are building up to London Super Comic Con in two weeks,it seems like a good idea!

Best of 2012

So, it is around the time of the year when people start looking back at what has gone in the past twelve months or so, and compile lists of their favourite music/books/films/etc. In my case, in order to compare with those of MrGiantwoman and the lovely Bob Reyer of Talking Comics, I have dutifully compiled several lists of comic books, writers and artists that have caught my eye, piqued my interest and generally worked their way in to my heart and mind this past year.

Some categories have gotten five or six entrants, some have just got the one. This is partly because some of the entrants were out and out favourites of my year, and partly because there were some books that were just too good to miss out on putting in. It may also have something to do with me being indecisive, but I'm blaming in on there just being so many great books out in 2012

I've listed my current "best of" list below, and will try and go in to more details on several of the books over the course of the next week or so, as some of these are absolute corkers that shouldn't be missed.

So, without further ado the lists:

Best continuing series:

Mind The Gap

Revival

Saga

Captain Marvel

Thief of Thieves

Best limited or mini-series:

Deadpool Kills The Marvel Universe

New Deadwardians

Hit Girl

Best single issue or one shot:

Iron Muslim

A Babies Vs X-Babies

Halloween Eve

Amazing Spider-Man #698

Best story arc:

Death of Peter Parker (ASM #698-700)

Intimate Strangers (Mind The Gap #1-6)

Prince of Thieves (Fairest #1-6)

Best Writer:

Jim McCann

Brian K Vaughan

Brian Wood

Bill Willingham

Best Artist:

Rodin Esquejo

Skottie Young

Fiona Staples

Koray Kuranel (Point of Impact)
Menton3

Best Cover:

Fairest #3, #8

Anything from Mind The Gap!

Before Watchmen #2

Revival #3

IT Girl and the Atomics #1 (standard cover)

Lady Mechanika #1

Best Humour:

A Babies Vs X-Babies

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Deadpool (Marvel NOW)

Best Anthology:

Womanthology

Best kids/young readers:

A Babies Vs X-Babies

Have I missed anything? Have I included something you think I shouldn't have? Let me know in the comments, I'm always open to new reading suggestions.

Dial H #2

Dial H
Writer - China Miéville
Artist - Mateus Santolouco
Colourists - Tanya & Richard Horie
Cover - Brian Bolland
Publisher - DC Comics


This is one of very few DC 'new 52' titles that I've picked up, and I did so purely based on the recommendation of the guys over at Talking Comics. Boy am I glad I did.


I'm not a massive DC fan, never have been, but Dial H moves away from their populist superheroes, into darker territory, almost parodying the very characters that are DCs bread and butter. We (technically) have a hero, but he's overweight, lazy, unenthusiastic and generally a bit of an average Joe. Heck, he doesn't even have a super-power, just a schizophrenic phone booth with some bat-crap crazy ideas. That is the joy of this comic though, Miéville takes all those stupid ideas that people think of in  the pub after a few pints (you know it's true) and crafts them - with the help of Santolouco - into the kind of ludicrous 'hero' only DC would produce. Iron Snail, anyone...?


I can't help but like it though. The writing is fun, and has an easy touch of realism - you would keep trying out different heroes too, right? - whilst maintaining its inherent lunacy. There are enough threads of story [sinister gangster types, a friend in need & an opponent that is not all she seems] to keep me interested until the next instalment, thanks to the storytelling pedigree that Miéville brings to the table, and the artwork keeps just enough of the crazy to work, leaving just enough out not to overwhelm. It isn't often these days that I will go back to a single page several times over just to marvel in the joys of the images shown, but the page where CONTROL-ALT-DELETE 'reboots' his opponent is masterful. Also, mental. Did I mention that this comic is a bit mad?


For a self-confessed Marvel fan-girl to be singing the praises of a DC title is strange, but not as strange as Dial H. Try it for yourself. Just don't say I didn't warn you...