2009: The Year That Wasn't

Columns, Features

While everyone else around the internet is compiling and debating ‘Best of’ lists, I wanted to take a few moments to look at some of the mysteries of 2009 – the books that never arrived!

To my knowledge, none of the following books were cancelled by Diamond Distributors – they just never showed up on the stands.  There are probably more, these are only the ones that have been sitting on my pull list for the last while.  And so, the year that wasn’t:

January 2009

Firebreather #6 (Image):  Phil Hester and Andy Kuhn’s book about the hybrid son of a giant monster and a human woman has been very compelling and charming, and much missed.

March

Firebreather #7 (Image)

May

Kick-Ass #8 (Marvel/Icon): Any bets on whether or not this gets published just before the movie?

Lucha Libre #7 (Image):  This anthology of European-style comics about Mexican luchidore superheroes and behemoths raised by wild cacti was a lot of fun.

June

The Great Unknown #3 (Image): Duncan Rouleau’s tale of stolen intellectual property and reality television was a very cool piece of comics art and design.

July

Guerillas #5 (Image): I have loved every minute of Brahm Revel’s Vietnam war epic, with a squad of trained chimpanzee soldiers.  He’s created a unique and entertaining title, which was being released in satisfyingly large issues ever few months, until things just stopped…

Lucha Libre #8 (Image)

August

Doktor Sleepless #14 (Avatar): It may not get as much press as some of his other titles, but I feel like this is Warren Ellis’s finest recent work.  He has spent a lot of time building up the characters and environment of Heavenside, although it’s sporadic publication schedule has hampered my enjoyment of it.

The Great Unknown #4

September

Flash: Rebirth #6 (DC):  I think it’s odd that people threw such a fit about Marvel publishing the epilogue to Captain America Reborn before the series finished, but very little was said about DC’s releasing of Blackest Night: The Flash before John’s completed this terrific mini-series.

Phonogram: The Singles Club #7 (Image): This book has gotten back on track of late, so it shouldn’t be much longer…

Sword #21 (Image): When the Luna Brothers started their most recent series, they were remarkably consistent, but things have changed lately.

October

Doktor Sleepless #15 (Avatar)

Proof #25 (Image): Like Sword, this used to be one of the most reliable books around, but this hasn’t been the case for the last few months.

Rasl #6 (Cartoon Books): Jeff Smith’s new title has been interesting, and so far more reliable than Bone was.

November and December are both too recent to complain about late books…

Whatever Happened To?

The following are titles that were supposed to be out in 2008.

’76 #6, 7, 8 (Image)

Dead Ahead #3 (Image)

Firebreather #5 (Image)

Infinite Horizon #5, 6 (Image)

Red Mass for Mars #4 (Image)

War Heroes #4, 5 (Image)

I should also mention that Pirates of Coney Island (Image) has also never finished up.  I discovered it after it was solicited, so it’s not on my pull list anywhere.

It’s interesting just how many of these books are supposed to have been published by Image.  It kind of makes one think of the 90s…..

Does anyone know what’s going on with these books?  What is on your list of comics that never were?

Get in touch and share your thoughts on what I've written: jfulton@insidepulse.com