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 15/05/13 - the "my money saving plan is finally working" edition

So, finally the pull list is down to a manageable number of titles, and I can stop despairing at the size of the "to be read"  long box, and actually start reading some of them!

Fingers crossed this will mean a few more articles coming up on here in the near future.

Saving money may have just been ruined though, as I've been offered a ticket to MCM at the end of the month, and I can't decide whether to trust my brain and pass on it, or to use my normal approach and grab it with both hands. Hmm...

While I ponder, here are this weeks books:

DC

Fables #129

Dynamite

Bionic Man vs Bionic Woman #5

IDW

My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic #7 

Image

It Girl & The Atomics #10

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 17/04/13 - the "50% Image" edition

Well, another week, another trip to see what we will or  won't get! Plenty of new titles out this week that we are looking forward too, and it seems that I can officially call myself an Image fan girl now. 7 out of 14 books from one publisher? Eep!

A bit of new Danger Girl to keep MrGiantwoman out of trouble is always good, and hopefully the latest edition to the 'Wrath of the First Lantern" series from DC will mean it is drawing to a close, for the sake of my wallet if nothing else.

DC

Green Lantern New Guardians #19

Fables #128

DYNAMITE

Bionic Man vs Bionic Woman #4

IDW

Colonized #1 Regular Dave Sim Cover - missed from last weeks pull!

Danger Girl Trinity #1 

IMAGE

Five Ghosts Haunting Of Fabian Gray #2

It Girl & The Atomics #9

Mara #4

Miniature Jesus #1 

Revival #9

Thief Of Thieves #13

Todd The Ugliest Kid On Earth #4

MARVEL

Captain Marvel #12

INDEPENDENTS

Adventure Time #15

Pull list 10/04/13 - the 'sub-ten books' edition

Finally, getting to have a quiet week! I am not sure how the reaction is going to be when I go in to get the books this week, as it will be the first time seeing the shop owner(s) since cancelling all the orders, but only time will tell. 

I don't expect we will get Star Wars, as they still don't have issue #2 for us, but the others are regulars or ones ordered from Previews, so here's hoping!

DC

Star Wars (Dark Horse) #4

Batman Lil Gotham

Green Lantern Corps #19  (Wrath Of The First Lantern Tie-In)

Threshold #4

IDW

Rocketeer Hollywood Horror #3 

Image

Saga #12

Marvel

Wolverine Vol 5 #2 Regular Alan Davis Cover

Secret Service #6

Independents

Adventure Time Fionna & Cake #4 

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 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.

iT Girl! and the Atomics #1

iT Girl! and the Atomics

Writer - Jamie S. Rich
Artists - Mike Norton
Colours - Allen Passalaqua
Lettering - Crank!
Cover - AMichael & Laura Allred
Publisher  -Image

I am a girl. This is not something I often admit too, because I'm not very feminine at all, I don't have many (any?) traditionally female-oriented interests, and I'd rather go kick-boxing or play an RPG than go shopping. 

However, sometimes my inner-princess gets the better of me, a good example of that being when I saw the front cover of new Image title 'iT Girl! and the Atomics'. Add in some blurb from Fiona Staples on the cover singing its praises, and I duly handed over my hard-earned pennies and walked out of the shop clutching my new pink-and-lilac purchase.

While most of the characters are taken from the pages of Madman & The Atomics (which I have not read), they are given enough exposition that this is an easy pick up, no background knowledge needed. This title gave me everything I wanted: sassy females, comedic bad guys, mad scientists and enough action for set me up for the next issue. The magazine style front cover gives you hints as to the content, without giving anything major away unless you are aware of the characters from their previous books.

Much of the book is taken up with explaining what it going on in the world, and setting up the main characters, but iT Girl has enough personality to carry the plot, and Rich introduces the supporting cast with enough speed to keep the reader interested, but not to confuse them.

Mike Nortons artwork is lovely, perfectly complementing the story and the bright (dare I say feminine) colour palette used reflects the tone of the story, darkening for panels of danger or action, and light and breezy when it needs to be.

Overall I would say this is a good start to a new series, and hey, maybe you have a lady friend who would like a get in to comics? If she wasn't convinced by Captain Marvel (if not, is she mad?!) try her on iT Girl, she might see what all the fuss is about after all.

Thief of Thieves #7

Thief of Thieves


Story - Robert Kirkman
Writer - Nick Spencer
Artist - Shawn Martinborough
Colourist - Felix Serrano
Letterer - Russ Wooton
Cover - Shawn Martinborough & Felix Serrano
Publisher - Image


I was quite a latecomer to this series, having missed out on the first, second and third printings of the first issue, and it wasn't until issue six that my LCS managed to find me a full run to get my teeth in to. Thieves turned out to be one of those comics that had me asking for the next issue as soon as I had finished all those I had, and issue #7 is no exception.


With a plot that could be pulled straight from a Hollywood blockbuster (yes the 'Oceans' series, I a looking at you), it has all the intrigue and twists of a major motion picture, supplemented by the sumptuous artwork of Shawn Martinborough. The plot is fairly simple, a master thief wants out, but has to pull one last big heist to set himself and his crew up for life. Except he pulls off a different kind of set up entirely...


Issue six left us wondering how he had pulled it off; setting up his entire crew in order to free his wayward son from the clutches of the FBI, only for them to appear to be walking free for no reason that we are given. Until now. Redmond is a master of plotting, and has pulled a blinder with his plan as enacted in issue 6. We are given the brilliant details throughout the course of issue 7, but the cliffhanger at the end only leaves me wanting more. At what cost has he rescued his son, given that it seems he will now have to carry out the "last big job" that he was so desperately trying to avoid throughout the preceeding issues? I suppose I'll have to wait and find out. Must... be... patient...


The beauty of Nick Spencers writing comes to the forefront in this title, different in many ways from Morning Glories, the only title I knew him from previously, but with the humanity that he seems to bring to all his characters. Once again he manages to create individuals that are flawed, imperfect, and yet utterly believable. Our master thief Redmond has all the hallmarks of the classic 'bad boy', and yes, I love him for it. He has rescued a slightly broken woman from a potential life of petty crime (admittedly by taking her into the murky underworld of major heists), done his utmost to win back the wife he has lost through his life changes, flirted his way through several encounter with the law, and written a heartfelt note to his son trying to prevent him making the mistakes that have peppered Redmonds own life. The supporting cast of thieves, family and FBI agents only serve to uphold the reputation that Spencer is rapidly gaining in my household for being a master of his craft.


Largely free of splash pages, the pared down style of the comic allows the artwork and colouring to come to the fore, with a dark palette that allows the faces of the characters to act as a focus, and a single full page illustration for the final page, beautifully rendered and encapsulating Redmonds plight - and my reaction to the latest cliffhanger - with a single word.

All the characters - even those introduced in this issue, and those that we technically shouldn't like such as the FBI agent that plagues Redmonds every step - have qualities that draw the reader in, and the emotion drawn on their faces, be it shock, happiness or fear, just add to the joy of this comic.


My verdict? if you haven't read this series yet, do so. Now. seriously, stop reading this and go and pick it up, you won't regret it.

America's Got Powers #1 & 2

America's Got Powers
Writers / Artists - Jonathon Ross & Bryan Hitch
Publisher - Image


Let me get something off my chest. I don't like Jonathan Ross. I think he's arrogant, unfunny, overexposed and self-obsessed. I didn't buy this title because of that. Unfortunately for me, I'm a sucker for good publicity. Admittedly, lots of that good publicity came from Bryan Hitch retweeting complimentary reviews on twitter, but still, a couple of people whose opinion I trust suggested it, so I picked up issues 1 & 2. An action I am now regretting. The £4.40 I spent on those two comics could have bought me a pint of ale and a packet of crisps. Or two different comics. Ones with a whiff of originality to them.


I feel really bad, sitting here on my sofa bitching about someone being derivative when the sum total of my creativity starts and ends with a poem published when I was 11, that wasn't actually very good. But heck, I'm going to do it anyway. America's Got Powers draws heavily from influences such as Hunger Games and X-Men. Okay, maybe I draw influences from these sources, and am casting unfair aspersions on the authors. I don't think so though. It just seems a bit heavy handed, harking back to the anti-mutant sentiment of X-Men but not in a way that compliments it, more in a way that says "look, we've read this and liked it so much we're using it again".


The major plot twists we have had so far were so glaringly obvious that I wondered why they even bothered to keep them a secret in the first place, and Tommy, the 'hero' is so two dimensional I can't bring myself to care about him. The art is, well, fine. The writing is, um, nice. There is nothing in these comics that reaches out and grabs me by the cojones though. Yeah, I'll probably read the rest of the series, but I'm not likely to make them release day purchases, and they'll probably sit in a long box for a while before I get around to them. 

Grim Leaper #1

Grim Leaper
Writer - Kurtis Weibe
Artwork - Aluisio C. Santos
Publisher - Shadowline/Image 


Like many of the new titles I encounter, this purchase was inspired by a few recommendations from independent sources on twitter, and the fact that the writer generally comes across as quite a nice guy on there. It helps that it has a tag of line "a love story to die for" and that the dot over the i of Grim is shaped like a little skull. Sometimes, it's the little things that count.


The basic premise (as I picked up through the first book any way) is that Lou (or Blake, or Paul) has a rather bad tendency to get killed in unfortunate ways - truck tyre to the face, anyone? - then come straight back to inhabit another body in his dead end town. I must admit I am already hoping that we will find what out happens to the prior inhabitants of these bodies, as it seems to have been brushed under the metaphorical carpet for now. He seems to have adapted to this lifestyle rather well, and has quite a flippant attitude to the entire scenario. Not sure that I'd be so casual about facing yet another impending death myself. The story has pulled me in though, not so much caring for the main character (he's a bit of an arse to be honest), but wanting to know why he has made certain decisions, such as at what point he anthropomorphised Death, how he recognised that Ella - otherwise a complete stranger - has the same "curse" as him and so on.


Stylistically, the use of colours and textures gives depth to the story, flicking between what I am assuming is the world as we would see it, and the world as Lou sees it. This helps keep the reader grounded, as the protagonists unfortunate tendency to change bodies regularly could cause problems otherwise. Judging by the cover we can look forward to a lot more of the many faces of Lou Collins, some of whom (punk, little boy) could well as some more depth to the story.


One thing I mustn't forget is the extra story that takes up the final few pages of the book. I found the transition slightly jarring at first, as it cut from one story the next without so much as a by-your-leave, but the rather cutesy tale of office/traffic based romance acts as a nice counter to the somewhat graphic main tale, and I look forward to seeing what they use to back-up the next instalment of Grim Leaper, and whether the duo of Joey Esposito (scripts) and Jeff McComsey (scribbles) will be back in the next issue is an added bonus to look forward to.


All in all, [yet] another one for the pull list. At some point I'll have to trim it down, but while good books like this keep getting produced, I for one will keep on buying them.