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Hey all. So in this week’s newsletter from The Comic Book Shop, my boss gives me crap for not updating my podcast. Fortunately I cave easily to guilt, so here we are.I am doing another minicast tonight. I think it’s very likely that I will be doing these on a weeknight from here on out, I just need to figure out how to get all my ducks in a row. so to speak.

Any way…

Welcome to Hoxford – Story and art by Ben Templesmith.

I rather like this dark, blood drenched, prison romp. Not for younger readers, unless you want to have to explain necrophilia and cannibalism to your youngling. Gorgeous art and great creepy story.

Dynamo5 – Story by Jay Faerber, Art by Mahmud Asrar

Great superhero team book. The more I think about it, the more it feels like a chick book. The leader is a woman, one of the big villains is a woman, and the men are really beefcakey. I also love that the artist gives all of the characters unique bodies, even the women. No “same body, different hair-do”.

Ok, That’s all for tonight. Tomorrow is going to be an especially fun New Comics Day. Every one needs to go to their comic book shop (or mine) and get a Wednesday Comics from DC. I have been looking forward to this thing like crazy. There’s also a new Unwritten, and the beginning of the Green Lantern cross Blackest Night. So much nerdy coolness!

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Episode 13

Wow

I’m surprised I could even find this place, it’s been so long. It’s good to be back though. Retail holiday crap is over with now, and I can get back to the very serious and important business of reading comics and then talking about them.

A lot of really fun stuff has come out since last time, and I had a tough time choosing my books this week. Too many cool things to read isn’t so bad a problem to have though. For example, right after I went on break, Fables Vol 11 came out, and it was so good that I sat in the pub and cried while I read it. In public and everything.

I am such a nerd.

Secret Invasion
New Release

Secret Invasion Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Pencils by Leinil Francis Yu

This book is kind of a big deal in the Marvel Universe right now. Not only is it central to the direction of the whole Universe, but it’s an experiment to see if people will pay $29.99 for an 8 issue trade paperback. If the sales of the singles were any indication, then Marvel should be able to move forward with their secret plan to force subscribers to pay in limbs, children and precious bodily fluids. It’s a fun read though.

Doom Patrol

Vertigo

Doom Patrol Vol 01 Written by Grant Morrison, Art by Richard Case, Doug Braithwaite, various

I honestly believe that Grant Morrison is at least a little bit insane. After I read this, I did actually have a nightmare about the scissormen. Blegh. Interesting though, and I feel like I need to see where it goes.

The Nightly News
Image

The Nightly News by Jonathan Hickman

While I really liked the dark, sort of psychological story it was telling, I got a little bogged down in the fine print fonts. There were a lot of little info boxes in teenie-tiny type, and I felt like if I didn’t read them all, I would be missing important content. So, this book gave me a headache from squinting, but it was worth it.

Phantom Dream

Tokyopop

Phantom Dream Vol 01 Natsuki Takaya

This is a relatively new release that’s actually an older series. This was Natsuki Takaya’s first published manga, before she did Fruits Basket. To me it feels like an artist’s early work, in that the story is kind of rough and when you compare this with the art in Fruits Basket, you can see how far she’s come. It took me a couple of chapters to get into this story, but once it sort if got itself together, it was fun.

Thanks again, and if you have requests, suggestions or comments, just let me know.

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Episode 09

Yay!

2 Podcast weeks in a row, here we are, back on schedule! There were even 3 birthdays last week to celebrate, including my own, and I started crocheting a very special baby hat for a friend of mine. I don’t want to link just yet, and maybe spoil the surprise, but if I manage to get it to come out half as cool as the person who made the pattern, it will be incredibly nerdy/cool.

On to the comics!

Wolverine
New Release

Wolverine First Class Written by Fred Van Lente, Pencils and Inks by Andrea Di Vito

Mr Van Lente said in an interview with Comics Should Be Good that regarding Kitty Pride “I wanted a hook to get female readers interested in the series.” It worked. I’m interested. I’d just like to see her be a more rounded character. Right now she seems pretty shallow, even for a 13 year old girl. The art is very pretty though. Oh, and I should post this correction: In the podcast, I mention that the colorist for this book deserves his/her own bow. Then I mention Glynnis Wein, who did the color on the Wolverine first appearance at the back of the book. The colorists for the new stuff are credited as the following: Laura Villari, Guru eFX, Chris Sotomayor, Wilfredo Quintana, & Val Staples. So bow, the lot of you. You did good work.

Essential Doc Strange

Marvel

Essential Doctor Strange Written by Stan Lee, Pencils Steve Ditko

This is my first foray into the Essential books, and so far, I am having a good time. The lack of color is a little distracting, but you get used to it, and the crazy 60’s stories are like groovy and far out, man. I’m only about half way through this monster sized book, but I am really liking it a lot.

Scud
Image

Scud The Disposable Assassin The Whole Shebang – Rob Schrab

Another one from Andy, my trail guide in the comics wilderness. This is so awesome in so many ways, but at 800 pages, I have no idea where to begin explaining it. If you are a fan of the absurd and violent, this book is totally worth it’s cover price and you should just go out and buy it.

Phoenic Wright

Del Rey

Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney, Art by about 50 different people, credited as Capcom.

Wow. I wish I had played the game, then I might have had some idea what was going on. I was under the mistaken impression that you hadto yell at your DS in order to progress, and I did not want to be the crazy lady on the bus. I did enjoy this, but I would have gotten much more out of it if I knew what was going on. But that the elderly lady client’s name was Ms. Oldbag absolutely cracked me up and had me showing the book to random people that came into the store.

Thank you so much for hanging out with me again this week. Wish me lots of luck, me and Grammar Cowboy signed an offer on a house on friday. It would be awful nice to have a whole room to do this recording stuff in.

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Episode 07

Wow, did you guys miss me? It’s been a weird week, but things should be going better soon. As I mentioned in the show this week, we are trying to buy a house. I swear it shouldn’t be this hard. All we want to do is give someone a large amount of money. Usually people like money. The house we are looking at went into foreclosure between when we made our offer and now, so the house that we like is in limbo. So think happy thoughts for us. My apartment gets smaller by the day.

We have 5 books for you this week, since I made you wait so long.

The Twelve Vol 01
New Release

The Twelve Vol 01 Written by J. Michael Straczynski, Pencils by Chris Weston

This book was a surprise. I was expecting camp and silly, and I got a dark, deep story with serious and compelling characters. I am looking forward to the second half.

Wolfman Cover

Bonus New-ish Release

Astounding Wolf-man Written by Robert Kirkman, Art By Jason Howard

I liked this book for a lot of reasons, but I still feel like it feels a little rushed. Doesn’t stop me from enjoying the heck out of it, though. Oh, and the link from the picture goes to Kirkman’s blog. Usually I link to publisher sites, but Image’s site makes it pretty much impossible to have a link to a specific book. Kirkman is pretty cool anyway.

Conan Cover
Marvel

Spider Woman Origin Written by Brian Michael Bendis and Brian Reed, Art by Luna Brothers

After my New Avengers binge a couple of weeks ago, I decided to grab this one to round out Jessica Drew’s story in my mind. I think this was a good story. The art didn’t wow me, but I thought it was interesting. It’s not as fun as the New Avengers, but it does offer some insight into her motivations, and there are some really cool fight scenes. I just don’t get why they had to start her out as a blond.

Stray Bullets Cover

El Capitan

Stray Bullets Vol 01 Story and Art by David Lapham

Ok. I give up. I’ve read it. I wrote a 3 pages in my fancy new Tara McPherson notebook about it. I talked about in this weeks show. I’m still not sure if I like it or not. I definitely respect it, but it squiks me out something fierce. You’ll have to read it and decide for yourself.

Other Side
New Release

The Other Side Of The Mirror Story and Art by Jo Chen

There are 2 books to this series. If you see them, go ahead and grab them both. The serialized story of Lou and Sunny really gets moving in the second book, and the short stories in that volume are also sweet and solid. Jo Chen also does beautiful painted covers. Her Runaways covers are some of the most beautiful things I’ve seen.

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