Hey folks, Zaphod here with another round of "Comic Strip." Tuesdays are always a lot of fun for me at work processing the shipment. Today, I also managed to sustain myself entirely on spudnuts (doughnuts made out of potatoes) so I feel like a winner!
But let's jump into the main event. Let's turn things up to eleven, get into our sexiest duds and begin. This week was much bigger comic-wise than I had anticipated. I came home with 14 single issues. If all goes well, I'll be able to get them all read tonight. Here's the stack:
Trillium #7:
This issue has more of the literal page turning action. Every two-three pages will find you rotating the book to read from the other person's perspective. This issue finally united our time-crossed lovers but even more disaster is on the way! I am continuing to love this story and Jeff Lemire's art always wows me. The back of the issue also contains a decoder for the secret alien glyphs so if you're feeling very ambitious, you can go back through and figure out what they're saying in every issue...feeling too lazy but I'm sure the internet has the answers somewhere...
Jupiter's Legacy #4
Man, it's been several months since issue three but as this issue takes place several years later, the break seems a bit more natural. This is a very different world that they are living in from issue #3. I love Mark Millar but his hand is on so many books that things rarely come out on time. Even so, the power house that is Mark Millar and Frank Quitely makes for a fucking incredible book and I am eagerly waiting for issue #5. Hopefully in a month or two? I'll have to check the solicitation for that...
Starlight #1
Another Mark Millar title, this time with the artist being Goran Parlov who I am unfamiliar with. I have to say though that I really enjoyed the artwork and will probably follow Parlov in the future. This issue was kind of a downer, but in the best possible way. Starlight is the story of Captain Duke McQueen, who in his younger days was sucked through a wormhole and taken to an alien planet. When he returned to Earth, nobody believed him and became a laughingstock. Now, in his twilight years, Duke is going through some really tough things. Sometimes it's hard to feel for characters early on in a series because they haven't been fully fleshed out but I had no problem here. My heart hurt for Duke's struggles and his loneliness. This issue is a hell of an opener to what I'm expecting to be a phenomenal series.
Apocalypse Al #2
This series is continuing at a great pace, with Al trying to stop a man from using the Book of Keys to bring on the apocalypse. Turns out even Ultimate Darkness isn't ready for the end of the world so help is being offered even from the bad guys to stop it. Al goes investigating in supernatural cyberspace. This is a fun comic and it has had a panty shot in both issues so far so that doesn't hurt either ;)
Velvet #4
Velvet has been a shining example of everything that I like to see in a spy thriller. She is a badass ex-agent who has hidden as a secretary for several years and not even her employers know her past. Now, she's out looking for answers in the shadows. Epting knows exactly how to show these action sequences so you feel you are actually watching a spy film. Plus, in this issue there is a lavish masquerade party and the pages are just gorgeous.
Invincible Universe #11
Oh no! The Lizard League? (crap, can't remember what they call themselves) are back and trying to take over. The Guardians of the Globe are in trouble. This was a fun issue and very action packed. Kid Thor and Knockout learn that it's hard to have a honeymoon when you're responsible for saving the world.
Detective Comics #29
First off, I love the paper that they use on these covers. It's so glossy and thick; much better than what they use on some of their other comics. This is the last of the Gothtopia issues. The happy, safe town that Gotham has appeared to be is just a trick concocted by Scarecrow and now Batman and most of the Bat-Family are trapped in it as well. This is John Layman's last issue on the book. I actually only started re-reading Detective Comics because he started the book and I've really enjoyed his run. I'm sad to see him go but he left it off with a great last arc which I really enjoyed. I'll still keep picking it up for a bit because Francis Manapul and Brian Buccelleto are both great. I hope they'll do good things with the book.
She-Hulk #2
So Jennifer has broken free of the law firm she was at to start her own. She found an interesting assistant and decides to take a night out on the town with Hellcat. She-Hulk is great fun, just like it's supposed to be and it seems the series may be gearing up when Shulkie gets her first client.
Juice Squeezers #3
The new kid Billy has joined the after school "basket weaving club" which is code for "the club where pre-teens learn to kill the giant bugs that live in the tunnels under the town." This is part three of the four part story so I'm expecting some big stuff next issue. It's definitely leading up to something as the Juice Squeezers journey in search of where the bugs came from in the first place.
Revival #18
Super creepy cover for this issue. This was one hell of an issue. One of the revivers seems to have special powers but those powers are taking a serious toll on them. There's not a lot I can say about this issue without spoiling it for you but it is really, super good and crazy shit's happening.
Hinterkind #6
The humans are trapped and trying to escape away from the creepy soldiers who are stitched together from the remnants of other people. The sidhe are trying to take over and control the humans. In summary, it's not safe to be a human in this world. With mutants and faerie people trying to sell you, eat you, or enslave you, you have to be careful.
Veil #1
I picked this one up entirely because of Greg Rucka. It starts with rats. Rats in a subway platform. A girl wakes up naked, mumbling nonsense. This is Veil. She remains much a mystery throughout the first issue but she's clearly different and has some abilities beyond the norm. There's very little actual dialogue in the first issue but it does a great job of setting up the story and letting you as a reader begin to wonder at the mystery that is Veil. I'm definitely interested to see where he goes with this. And the art was really fantastic and really fit perfectly with the feel of the book.
Moon Knight #1
This is one of the new Marvel #1s and is written by Warren Ellis and drawn by Declan Shalvey. Now I've never read any Moon Knight so this is the first view I've had of the character. So Moon Knight was a mercenary who was shot at the foot of the statue of an Egyptian god and comes back to life empowered by the god. However, he now has four separate personalities like the god himself. The way Shalvey is doing the character is really cool. He's entirely a flat white with just black for the linework but all of the other characters are fully shaded and colored. This gives the impression of Moon Knight being a flat illustration among the real world and the effect is really cool. This was a very interesting first issue with Mr. Knight teaming up with the police to hunt down a slasher. Also, what happened before he came back to New York? What happened after he went insane, as people claim?
Drumhellar #5
I think I'm going to have to stop reading this one issue to issue. I really can only follow about half of what is going on because it's so weird and scattered. The half that I can understand is great but it's hard to read it this way. Rossmo's art is at it's peak which is what's kept me reading and I do still want to check it out in trade but it's a little too strange and trippy to follow month to month.
Well that's it for me! I had a great stack and a great night of reading and I wish you all a merry New Comic Book Day!
Question of the week:
What writers and/or artists do you follow or do you mainly follow particular characters?
