New Comic Book Day Megathread

[IndigoPrime]

Mini-IP doesn't seem keen on giving me my FCBD Usagi back. Oh well—she's enjoying it. (She also really liked Lumberjanes—of which I have several volumes on the iPad. Hmmm. She's not going near my Usagi HC limiteds, mind.)

[Colin YNWA]

Mini-IP doesn't seem keen on giving me my FCBD Usagi back. Oh well—she's enjoying it. (She also really liked Lumberjanes—of which I have several volumes on the iPad. Hmmm. She's not going near my Usagi HC limiteds, mind.)

Yeah reading the two Yojimbo comics I began to wonder if this is the gateway drug I need to get the boy child to move from The Phoenix to a more action based menu... not that I want him to move away from The Phoenix I just have a LOAD of other comics I want to move him onto.

[CalHab]

GOTG #6 has them going to Gosnell's Bar, a nice little 2000AD reference.

[CalHab]

Hellblazer: Rise and Fall book 1. DC might be inexplicably cancelling the acclaimed Spurrier written Hellblazer, but they're also putting out this limited series written by Tom Taylor. It's in an oversized edition (about the size of a Megazine) with impeccable production quality. This is a nice thing. The story is very firmly old-school Hellblazer and would have been very at home in the Ennis run. This is very obviously not in the same continuity at the Spurrier series. For a start, Constantine seems about 30 years younger. The art by Darick Robertson is just on the right side of cartooney. It's a good start, even if it leans a bit heavily on Constantine's guilt, a subject that has been done to death. Looking forward to the rest of it.

[Colin YNWA]

Small haul, small haul, what cha gonna do.

Couple of FCBD comics Tom Scioli's Jack Kirby - The Epic Life of the King of Comics essentially does a Ed Piskor on Jack Kirby, which is no bad thing in this extended preview.

We are Humanoids has Mark Waid and Stephane Roux adding a short to The Incal... why... well I dunno.

Elsewhere in a small haul Strange Adventures 5 see the series continue to intrigue and infuriate in almost equal measure. Things move on but I don't feel like I've learnt anything more.

Backtrack 6 its just a cool car race throuhg time. If that works for you then you will like this as its nowt more. I'm a simple soul and I like this.

Usagi Yojimbo - Colour Classics 7 I've loved these and can't wait to get to the digital collections I have for this series.

Join the Future 5 - okay okay I was being a numbnut. I mean the whole progress stamping on freedom thing is really annoying. Scientific progress is good and collective support and responsibility over libertarianism is good BUT get over yourself Taylor this is just a western and replace the whole world chewing matches with a railroad and we've no different. Therefore the fact I love this is no mystery as its just a nice western. Ends in an odd(ish) place a little to clearly setting up a potential sequel. One I would buy.

We Only Find Them When They're Dead 1 - Wow what are Al Ewing and Simone Di Meo doing with this everyday tale of space folks craving up the bodies of giant dead space Gods... creating book of the haul is what. Mindboggling brilliance.

[Apestrife]

The question: death of vic sage #4 Liked some ideas and the art, but overall I found it to be quite shallow. But then ive only read a couple stories with him in it. 52, DKSA, Pax Americana. Idk, perhaps it reads better if youve read ONeils run on the character?

[CalHab]

Elsewhere in a small haul Strange Adventures 5 see the series continue to intrigue and infuriate in almost equal measure. Things move on but I don't feel like I've learnt anything more.

I don't think this is going to match Mister Miracle or The Vision, but I'm still optimistic this story is going to develop in interesting and unexpected ways (beyond the obvious war crimes/Strange as dupe angles).

They don't need to jumble the timeline as much, though. Or they need to do it better.

[broodblik]

Elsewhere in a small haul Strange Adventures 5 see the series continue to intrigue and infuriate in almost equal measure. Things move on but I don't feel like I've learnt anything more.

I don't think this is going to match Mister Miracle or The Vision, but I'm still optimistic this story is going to develop in interesting and unexpected ways (beyond the obvious war crimes/Strange as dupe angles).

They don't need to jumble the timeline as much, though. Or they need to do it better.

I struggled with Mister Miracle is just felt mew the whole time. The later part of the story was much better but again this could have been told in a max of about 2 - 3 issues (very similar to his Heroes in Crisis overlong and just not getting to the point). I can always recommend Alan Moore's Future Shocks too the American comics writers on howto write a story under 5 pages.

[Colin YNWA]

Love um when they're small but perfectly formed.

Well ok Immortal Hulk 37 while having moments of brilliance also illustrates I'm not keeping up with this. There's so much here and I wanting to go back and read it all from the beginning to pull it all together. But we have another year(ish?) to go and then the wait in the re-read pile. Still I'll stick with it for the moments and plan ahead for bigger things (I assume).

After Realm 3 is interesting to contrast with Walt Simonson's Ragnorak the other post fall of the Gods comic I read these days. They play it very differently and I love the way the 'real world' and gaming break through the barriers here, where Simonson's epic feels more closely bound with the mythos. But the common thread is great stories told by masters of their craft.

Skulldigger 4 I mean this must be good, its been month since I read issue 3 pre lockdown but this one I slipped back into with no friction and engaged right away. Samshing stuff in its evokcation of the grim and gritty side of the Black Hammer universe.

The Goddamned 3 speaking of GRIM and GRITTY Jez this takes it to the max, but its really rather good. As snakes tempt our run aways and its made quite clear that temptation may bring things into question but brute violence is the answer in this old testament world.

Book of the Haul however of course goes to Billionaire Island 6 which sees Mark Russell and Steve Pugh's glorious satire to a happy end... well happy except it quite clearly and with wonderful humour and grace makes it absolutely clear how fucked we are as a race!

[Colin YNWA]

Should also mention I picked up 'Concrete Surfer' and and adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's 'Slaughter House 5'. Both will have to wait for a read on the 'Spreadsheet of waiting to be read' and I have to be honest both don't fair as well as Rok of the Gods on the ol' smell test (the first test for any trade / graphic novel. Both having that slightly to petroleum smell going on.

Still Concrete Surfer looks amazing the energy in the cover image seeming to translate in Christine Ellingham's interior art. Looking forward to this.

As I am Slaugher House 5, though this one a little more nervously. Kurt Vonnegut is my favourite author and the book is superb, so I'm not sure what a comic will add to things? I don't know either writer Ryan North or Artist Albert Montey's work. Though a quick read of the introduction gave me hope this will be well done and looks to be superb.

[Rately]

Picked up Southern Bastards trades on Comixology.

Wow. Just fantastic art, a compelling story and great characters. I'm not particularly familiar with Jason Aarons, though i have enjoyed the first volume of Scalped, and plan on picking up more, seeing as he seems to be more of a writer of Superhero comics, which I've very little interest in nowadays. His dialogue, the set-up of the sucker-punch at end of the first trade. Just great, great stuff with kinetic, visceral and vivid coloured, popping, violence. Jason Latour does amazing work.

[CalHab]

Southern Bastards is absolutely outstanding. One of the best comics I've read in the last few years.

[Rately]

Southern Bastards is absolutely outstanding. One of the best comics I've read in the last few years.

Finished the second volume. Lovely stuff.

The way the story is building up, even though this volume is mostly prequel work, is brilliant, and there are dark times ahead for all involved. The Jason Latour art just gets better and better, and the sheer emotion he draws from every face is just brilliant.

So far, this would make an absolutely killer TV show. Get David Morse in as Earl Tubb!

[Apestrife]

Rorschach #1 by Tom King and Jorge Fornes Cool setup, but Idk. Didn't interest me as much as I thought it would. For one thing, alot of the characters are never called by their name. I would'v liked that since there's a murder mystery going on. Think I'll trade wait for this one.

Green lantern season 2 #8 by Grant Morrison and Liam Sharp Some sort of cosmic war is going. Anti matter laterns. Scrambled backwards talk. Not 100% on what's going on, but it's good fun.

Strange adventures #6 by Tom King, Mitch Gerads and Evan Shaner Continues the slow build, but I like it. Mister Terrific grills Alanna during a walk in the cold, and there's more on what happened during the war on Rann. Gerads art is on fire in this issue.

Moonshine #21 by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso  The current arc has dragged a little, but I think this issue made things interesting again. Witty dialouge and some cool developments. Just wish I'd find the werewolf stuff more interesting.

[Colin YNWA]

Strange adventures #6 by Tom King, Mitch Gerads and Evan Shaner[/b] Continues the slow build, but I like it. Mister Terrific grills Alanna during a walk in the cold, and there's more on what happened during the war on Rann. Gerads art is on fire in this issue.

Yeah except I'm not sure I like it. I'm finding this a little indulgent. Slow burn I'm fine with, but what are we getting in exchange. The character work isn't really doing anything, the mystery and tension is established. Even the shocking ending has been slow burned to death so its impact is reduced. Mind as you say the art is spot on.

Elsewhere in my latest haul we get an example of slow burn don perfectly as That Texas Blood 4 moves at a snails pace, nothing really happens. A lift to the airport, a car is hired, rooms are explored, bad feelings spoil teas and drinks are had. This quiet time though is used to explore the impact of a brothers death, the fear of losing touch with someone you love and to let us dewell with the folks we are visiting. Excellant stuff.

As is Alienated 6. I've run hot and cold on this series but a super ending means I can't wait to revisit to see if I was being unfair on those down bits.

Speaking of Spurrioso endings (Alienated is by Spurrioso) Hellblazer 10 sets up his ending on this series too and man does it seem like its going to be a doozy. As guilt chases John again and those competing for his soul when it guilt free play some harsh cards. Brilliant.

Backtrack 7 is solidly entertaining.

As I think is Immortal Hulk 38 but another reveal in a hellish landscape feels a little like this series is chasing its tail a bit. I think this needs a re-read through when its done as I'm losing it a little. Which is thrown particularly into view by a superb cash cow one shot Immortal Hulk - The Threshing Place by Jeff Lemire and Del Mundo. Man this different, fresh take works wonderfully and shows how spicing things up and moving the tone a little can have great reward.

Al Ewing though shows what he's all about with the first of two sublime issue 2s with We only find them when they're dead 2. Okay the art can be a little murky cos of all the shiny but its very atmospheric and the story and characters are developing wonderfully.

Batman n The Maxx 4 could have been book of the haul but its been so long coming I've lost the plot. Mind given the wonderful mindscapes The maxx takes you down i imagine I'd still be a little lost with a re-read, but in a more reasured way!

The Goon 4 ends this brisk and hilarious beer fueled fill-in arc well. Its just it feels so like its finishing everything off so efficently  it lack a sense of the anarchic fun this story has had to date.

And thus leaves our other brilliant number 2 to book of the haul. It too has been a long time coming as X-Ray Robot 2 finally arrive but Mike Allred shows what a master craftsman he is, as he makes this mind bending issue work perfectly on its own. Drag us wondefully up to speed and it looks stunning of course. Wow that's the way to have the second issue fill a gap of months!