New Comic Book Day Megathread

[Hawkmumbler]

Hang on.....WTF is going on in this months Blue Exorcist? I thought Shima defected to the Illuminate but was actually a double agent? How can he just waltz back into the main crew without Lucifer objecting?

[Recrewt]

Miracleman 16, the final issue by The Original Writer, also my last. I gather that Marvel are re-launching the series for Gaiman's run (reprint and the new material), but this will be a trade wait for me.

The only problem with trading waiting Miracleman is its still as ball crunchingly poor value. I'm waiting... for something else. it would seem now. I'm sure at some point Marvel will release it in a reasonably priced package.

Yeah, I managed to pick up a few miracleman comics cheap and whilst I did find some of the additional content interesting/amusing they definitely went overboard with the filler.  Perhaps one day they will do the decent thing and release the original writer stuff in its own tpb.

[Hawkmumbler]

18/03/15

The Grievous Journey of Ichabod Azrael and his conspiciously long title #1 - I gosh dang miss this series in the prog and seeinf as I missed it the first time it came around back in 2010 (?) I figuered I good re-read was on the cards. Just one of my absolute favourites from the House of Tharg, but is it me or was the series slightly less trippy in it's early days?

Dark Horse Presents 2014 #8 - I do have to admit i'm only picking this up for Groo and Dream Team by this point, but as loong as these two stick around I wont be dropping the title till then.

Groo Friends and Foes #3 - The joy continues! Groo has wormed his way into my heart alongside such other loveable goons as Dr and Quinch and Gintoki and at the moment it's Aragones ability to comstruct a likeable protag and a wildly silly high fantasy that is keeping me entertained.

Star Trek/ Planet of the Apes #4 - Hurtles towards it's conclusion. Hugley enjoyable and really get's me in the mood the watch some classic Trek again.

Red One #1 - This one has me a little cautious. Previews showed stonking good art but synopses suggested something unsavoury. But it's Xavier Dorison, I loooved SPOOKS, so i'll give it the two issues before I cast judgement.

Spread #6 - Who like's gore? Do you like gore? I love gore....Yeah, Spread is good fun.

Tuki Save the Humans #3 - How long has it been since the last issue again? 

Doctor Who the 12th Doctor #6 - Interest wavering, come on Williams I mnow you can keep me invested!

Weekly Shonen Jump #16 - I've already expressed my dissapointment in Gakkyu Hottei. Sadly this bitter taste ruined what was other wise another good issue.

[I, Cosh]

I'm going to violate the core concept of this thread by just talking about what I'm getting at the moment, regardless of whether there's an issue out this week.

Ragnarok 4, seems to have been as age since the last one, but likely worth the wait. Simonson is crafting a very fine tale here IMO.

I think I got the first issue of Ragnarok in some Comixology giveaway and it was the one that stood head and shoulders above everything else. I've been really enjoying the series. There are some really cool little between panel moments and, so far, it has taken care to make each issue have enough story to satisfy in itself as well as furthering the ongoing narrative. Really makes me want to get hold of Simonson's old Thor stuff.

Conversely, I think Autumnlands is for the chop but I'll give it until the end of the first storyline to decide. I got the first one after seeing it bigged up on here and was a bit underwhelmed. It's not bad, but neither is it anything special and, as anthropomorphic fiction goes, it seems a more Sylvanian Families than Watership Down. Plus I didn't like main character being a whining dog.

I thought I'd learnt my lesson about Pete Milligan's modern work not being for me but hope springs eternal, so I've still got two issues of The Names to look forward to. It's a kind of techno thriller about economic manipulation with a couple of decent ideas but unfortunately none of the verve and flair of vintage Milligan.

Crossed +100 has been discussed elsewhere. It's an enjoyable comic but not earth-shattering.

Surprised to have seen almost no mention of Grant Morrison's current series on here.

Annihilator is almost Morrison by numbers: writer as protagonist; broken relationship with his ex; paradoxical enemies pursuing each other across daft backgrounds with cool technobabble; possible mental condition which calls into question whether any of it is really happening; the only thing missing is a cat. However, it's still pretty enjoyable and the whole thing is elevated considerably by Frazer Irving's art. Each issue has at least one stunning page on a par with this:


Only two issues into Nameless, but it already seems to be the most fun thing old Grant's produced since Seaguy. It's the not unfamiliar Morrison mix of esoteric mysticism, sci-fi trappings and deliberately weird things which would only spoil the ride if they were explained too soon. This wont be to everyone's taste but the part that really makes it stand out for me is it's foul-mouthed, uneponymous hero. His cunt-ridden dialogue is so authentically Scottish it makes me laugh just thinking about it. Like the Mirror Master from Animal Man (?) but with the Frankie Boyle filter turned up.

The art from Chris Burnham is quite stunning too. Interesting to see that he's followed Grant from Batman onto this.

[Colin YNWA]

Really makes me want to get hold of Simonson's old Thor stuff.

Yeah know what you mean. His Thor is one of the bigger gaps in my reading. Especially when you consider what a big fan of his art I am. Must get around to putting that right at some point, and as like you I'm lovin' Ragnarok this might be the time.

Surprised to have seen almost no mention of Grant Morrison's current series on here.

I'm hanging for trades on GMozz's mini... though I'm still to get around to getting... was it called Happiness?

You should come play here more often sir.

[Mardroid]

Bateman  pretty good Joker story, but I'm gonna need to reread it together. I'm finding the story-telling a bit disjointed, and my memory isn't that great remembering what happened from month to month.

Chrononauts.
Okay story. Annoying characters.

[Link Prime]

I think I got the first issue of Ragnarok in some Comixology giveaway and it was the one that stood head and shoulders above everything else. I've been really enjoying the series. There are some really cool little between panel moments and, so far, it has taken care to make each issue have enough story to satisfy in itself as well as furthering the ongoing narrative. Really makes me want to get hold of Simonson's old Thor stuff.

I wholeheartedly agree Cosh, and the 4th issue has cemented it as one of my current favourites.

I've read a bit of Simonson's Thor, sporadically, but would really like to pick up the entire run.
Collections on Amazon are a bit pricey mind.

[Hawkmumbler]

25/03/15

Goon Once Upon a Hard Time #2: Eric Powell just lets everything go to shit in this issue with an issue written like a H.G.Wells and Goon isn't actualy doing much besides being cross analysed by Powell....until the last few pages.

Grindhouse (Drive In Bleed Out) #3: Whats this? A Blacksploitation comic? And it's a sequel to the Wasp Woman comic from last year? Eeeyyyy?!

Django/Zorro #5: Matt Wagner is a weiter strongly growing on me, and the quality of this series has bumped the Grendel collections a little further up my to purchase list. Ah, so many comics so little money.

Godzilla Rulers of Earth #22: Goro-feckin'-saurus. Kangaro T-rex. My favourite kaiju. Has finally entered te series in a flurry of a limbs and gore. Looovely!

Doctor Who 11th Doctor #10: Oh this was so much fun! Having the Doctor place his faith in his companion isn't a new concept, indeed it's the most common plot device between the relationship. But I love it how, in this instance, Alice is the only level headed one as Jones is slowly losing his senses and ARC is a bit of a wimp. Also it's cool we actualy have a four person TARDIS team for a change.

Weekly Shonen Jump #17: Food Wars! has settled into a nice place for me. It provides a brief respite from all the action titles, has nice art and the meta humour is very self aware. My Hero Academia also tell's the other creaters how to host multiple battles at once without drawing it out for two years 'looks at One Piece'.

I think i'll write some full reviews for Godzilla, Doctor Who, and Weekly Shonen Jump in a bit as I have a lot more to say about these tree can I can say right now.

[Mardroid]

Bateman  pretty good Joker story, but I'm gonna need to reread it together. I'm finding the story-telling a bit disjointed, and my memory isn't that great remembering what happened from month to month.

Bateman? Only NOW I notice this.

[Colin YNWA]

This haul should have been better than it was, but some stonking titles had a little faulter here and there, nothing major (in most cases) but enough to take the sheen off.

Mind Dawn of the Planet of the Apes 5 hasn't had too much sheen to begin with. I'll see this one through and see how it holds up read as one. War Stories 6 continues this once great series (i.e. when it was Battlefields) run of mediocrity. Flash Gordon 2 I think was a pretty poor comic, but by heck for whatever reason I really enjoyed it. Cyclops 11 has been a brilliant series, alas this issue suffered from that oh so familiar problem, that of having to wrap up in a hurry, there a crossover on the way so however good this was it needs to get on with getting out.

Little Nemo Return to Slumberland 4 wraps up this series ... well it wraps up. Its been okay and I'll re-read before passing judgement. 12th Doctor Who 6 has been hovering on the brink, just as the art takes a dip, the story takes a climb, one day it'll get it all sorted I hope. 11th Doctor Who 10 does do it all, wonderful art, great story, brilliant.

Multiversity 8 is so meta it can't possibly be read on its own, well it can but it simply begs to be read with the rest. I'm pretty sure its stonking, its certainly one of the boldest most imaginative ones I've read ... but I need to make time to read it in context.

Tuki 3 has taken an age to arrive and it cranks up the fun. FBP 19 felt utterly, disappointingly unFBP as I set up what I think will be its climax. C.O.W.L. 9 as so wonderfully C.O.W.L. Ragnarak 4 was Simonson at his best. They're Not Like Us 4 was quite brilliant, as the whole series has been, if you aren't reading this series you bloody well should be. I think giving it book of the haul will become cliche, so I'll reserve that for Autumnlands 5 or Invisible Republic 1 a nice built to the end of the formers first arc and a cracking first issue, you should be reading both of these too.

[Hawkmumbler]

Woohoo! New comic books! Well naturally the jumping on prog is the highlight, but woooow their is some competition. 

Empowered Unchained vol.1: I am never able to decide if Adam Warrens art is a satire of casual mysogyny in comic books or ACTUAL mysogyny in a comic book, but by god it's a funny old series is Empowered! Glad it's back.

Rat God #3: More freaky creepy stuff from Richard Corden as the Rat God cult plots it's sinister scheme of murder and destruction.

The Maxx #17: Things are getting dicey, even by this series standards. Utterly bonkers from page to page and I can never tell when it's a dream or reality. Or is it all a dream, god I hope not....

Shadow Show #5: Wraps up the tribute in style, illustrated this time by Alice Hauffman. I have to say, i've really enjoyed this series, even if it hasn't been uniformly been fantastic. Will read very well collected.

EGO's #7: Continues to be phenomenal. I'm so glad I gave this series a chance. Reads like Terraformers spliced with The Incal. Good stuff!

War Stories #7: ....Meh?

Weekly Shonen Jump #18: WTF happened in Toriko this week? 

[Hawkmumbler]

A few good things to look forward to this week, but i'm sure i'm not the only one rejoicing at the news that Copperhead is back.

[The Adventurer]

Astro City, Copperhead, Saga, Transformers v GI Joe... yeah its looking like a pretty good week.

[Link Prime]

Slim pickins for me this week, but next week is Archie-tastic:

Sabrina 2 (Will we forgive the 6 month hiatus between issue 1 and 2? Course we will. This was a break-through hit for me in 2014, I adored every blood soaked gothic horror panel of it).
Archie Vs Predator 1 (Groundskeeper Willie voice: Ye hearrrd me).
Crossed +100 4 (Moore's take on this has been quite good so far, just not what I was expecting. Actually, I don't know what I was expecting. As an aside, I recently devoured all 4 volumes of Spurrier's excellent 'Wish You Were Here', and am eagerly awaiting his stint on this, beginning in issue 7).

[Hawkmumbler]

Good solid week for pick up's.....

Re-Animator #1: Their have been a lot of comic book spin-off's for the classic movie, but this one has piqued my interest more than most. It's written by Keith Davidson and illustrated by Randy Valiente, both of whom had very good runs on the Dynamite Army of Darkness comic, so I feel this title is in good hands.

Star Trek / Planet of the Apes #5: The crossover draws to a close and once again i'll re-iterator the sentiment I've had throughout. Though not mandatory reading, it's damn good fun.

Big Man Plans #2: The first one was ultra violent as hell and grim too boot. Hope this issue kicks in with the Powell charm a little bit more.

Copperhead #6: 'Inaudible noises of joy' It's back! With a new case! I'm so very excited!

Saga #27: Marko just can't catch a break, can he? Series continues to be a joy but somewhat less of a joy than it was in previous arcs.Though I do like where the revolution story line is going.

Assassination Classroom vol.3: Oh goody goody goody! One of my favorite silly shonen series! Completely fruit loopy and enjoyable as hell. Very much looking forward to it.

Weekly Shonen Jump #19: So Gakkyu Hottei hasn't been axed QUITE yet? Ok then, was sure the last few weeks where setting it up for a quick bail out but their you go.