Were Money No Object – The May Previews Edition With DC, Image, Marvel, Dog Year & Fantagraphics

Columns, Top Story

Maybe it’s just my mood, but I didn’t find a whole lot in this month’s Previews that got my blood flowing.  Still, here are a few random observations or musings that crossed my mind while arranging my pull-list for July.

DC

I didn’t find much to say going through the DC solicitations this month – since they are focusing on launching replacement New 52 titles in waves, we go months without anything new to discuss.  I am curious about The Judas Coin, an original hardcover that features Batman and a number of DC’s historical characters, by Walter Simonson, a writer/artist I adored as a kid.  $23 for 96 pages is out of my price range though…

I love the concept behind National Comics, a new series of done-in-one stories featuring a variety of second- or third-string characters.  This issue updates Kid Eternity, in a story written by Jeff Lemire and drawn by Cully Hamner.  That’s a no-brainer for me – I respect both creators, and I loved Ann Nocenti’s Kid Eternity Vertigo comic.  Unfortunately, none of the upcoming issues that were mentioned in the press about this new series interest me in the least; maybe by the fourth issue, they’ll draw me back.

I never cared for He-Man and the Masters of the Universe as a kid, but the fact that the new licensed mini-series is being written by James Robinson does catch my eye.  I’m probably going to trade-wait this one though, and see how the reviews are.

A new Vertigo mini-series by Sean Murphy called Punk Rock Jesus?  Sold – I’m not even going to read what it’s about.

Image

There are a couple of big events happening at Image this month.  The Walking Dead hits issue 100, which is cause for trepidation, as Robert Kirkman has a habit of killing off important characters in anniversary issues.  Also, one of the most popular characters from the Chew cast gets his own one-shot in Chew: Secret Agent Poyo.  That should be awesome.

A number of the new Image series or one-shots debuting in July don’t really interest me, mostly because there is an over-reliance on the work of Tim Seeley, Kurtis Wiebe, and Riley Rossmo, who all seem to be churning out a great amount of stuff lately, but who haven’t really impressed me much (okay, I loved Rossmo on Proof, but not on anything since).

Marvel

Marvel’s solicitations are not exciting me much either this month.  I’m confused by the fact that many of the titles that have been tying in to Avengers Vs. X-Men are going back to their regularly scheduled programming this month – at least in books like Secret Avengers and X-Men Legacy, which is always awkward, as these stories are taking place after that series ends, but will have to hide whatever ‘nothing will ever be the same again’ tricks show up at the end.  The problem is, there have been rumors that Marvel is going to use AvsX to make some lasting changes to their whole line, similar to what DC did after Flashpoint.  See the problem?

Normally, the thought of Alan Davis doing a Fantastic Four Annual would pique my interest, but since it seems he’s trying to relaunch ClanDestine off the back of it, and it’s part of a series of annuals this summer, I think I’m going to pass.  $5 is too much for something like that.

I will take a chance on Captain Marvel #1, since it’s written by Kelly Sue DeConnick, and because I’ve always kind of liked Carol Danvers.  I’m glad Marvel didn’t decide to price this at $4, as that would have been a deal breaker.  Could they be learning?

I want to drop Defenders, but Marvel keeps playing dirty tricks, such as getting Jamie McKelvie to draw it, that keeps me coming back.

Is Space Punisher a real thing?  I ask because April Fool’s Day was a month ago, and this seems more like the type of announcement you’d hear then.

In case Age of Apocalypse didn’t provide enough alternate-reality X-Men for you, we now also have X-Treme X-Men.  Does Marvel really think there is enough of a market for all of this?  Why not bring back Mutant X (the comic, not the show) too?

Jeph Loeb is writing Wolverine again, starting with issue 310.  This means that I can move this title off my ‘bargain buy’ list, to my ‘never buy’ list.  Is anyone excited about this?

I want to believe that the newest relaunch of Powers, Powers FBI is going to actually come out regularly, but I’ve lost all faith in Brian Michael Bendis’s creator-owned projects.  I’m probably going to get this when it comes out on the stands, but I’m not going to pre-order it (especially since there are two more issues of Powers that will have to come out in the next two months for this to arrive on time).

Discounting one Millarworld title, I am pre-ordering twenty-three Marvel comics in July, but they represent only seventeen titles.  Were Marvel not constantly double-shipping so much, I probably would also be reading X-Men Legacy, Dark Avengers, Venom, Captain America and Iron Man, Hulk, Punisher, and Age of Apocalypse.  In other words, Marvel, your policies are costing you sales, not gaining them.  Also, were they $3 instead of $4, I’d be pre-ordering Avengers Vs. X-Men, Avengers, New Avengers, Avengers Assemble, Ultimate Comics X-Men, Amazing Spider-Man, Avenging Spider-Man, Spider-Men, Captain America, Astonishing X-Men, X-Men, and Fury Max.  Just saying…

Dog Year Entertainment

Sometimes it’s hard to find good comics in the independent publishers section of Previews, but my eye just happened to land on Foster, a new series written by Flash co-writer Brian Buccellato, and drawn by Noel Tuazon, of Tumor fame.  This sounds like a gritty cross between Lone Wolf and Cub and Arvid Nelson’s Zero Killer.  It seems worth checking out.

Fantagraphics

It’s always good to learn that a new issue of Tales Designed to Thrizzle is coming out.  Michael Kupperman is a mad genius.

So, what would you buy in July Were Money No Object?

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