New Comic Book Day Megathread

[Colin YNWA]

Something quite special though comes in the form of The Spirit #1 by Matt Wagner. Still mean to read more of this mans work but I can already tell he's incredibly talented. A very fun, freshly written noir comic.

Good to hear this. One of my all time favourite creators, one of my all time favourite characters. This was either going to be a massive thrill or a massive disappointment for me. So good to get a postive review prior to me picking this up tomorrow.

[PreacherCain]

As much as I love Image these days, I do kind of wish they'd focus a little more on promoting their ongoing titles these days. There are so many new series, it's getting kind of intimidating and overwhelming.

[Colin YNWA]

As much as I love Image these days, I do kind of wish they'd focus a little more on promoting their ongoing titles these days. There are so many new series, it's getting kind of intimidating and overwhelming.

Not just that, but so many great titles seem to suffer for the glut of stuff out there and struggle to find the audience they deserve.

Of course it would make no sense for them not to as a business, nor be fair to the talent wanting to work with them to get their fine stories out. Just if there was a few less, a few of the more unsung might do better?

[Hawkmumbler]

Something quite special though comes in the form of The Spirit #1 by Matt Wagner. Still mean to read more of this mans work but I can already tell he's incredibly talented. A very fun, freshly written noir comic.

Good to hear this. One of my all time favourite creators, one of my all time favourite characters. This was either going to be a massive thrill or a massive disappointment for me. So good to get a postive review prior to me picking this up tomorrow.

Oh yeah, it was bloody good fun. And i'm not even that well exposed to The Spirit, but I loved it.

[Colin YNWA]

Yeah read mine yesterday (copy of Matt Wagner's The Spirit 1) and while, as always seems to be the case, it wasn't quite at either extreme of the Astonishing ---- poo spectrum it was bloody good.

Loved the way he gave fantastic insight into the titular character with having him [spoiler]actually appear[/spoiler] sets up the series really nicely and I enjoyed it immensely.

[Link Prime]

Another #1 in the form if We Stand On Guard #1. I really enjoyed the preview in Saga and love the waring factions made up of no particular nations but instad a rag tag bunch was very, very enjoyable.

I picked this up last week too.
Lovely artwork by Skroce, but I would not have recognized it as his work.

[Colin YNWA]

You know when I said last time you should all just read the comics I get. Well this haul proves the point, it really does.

I've already sung the praises of The Spirit 1 and discussed the 2015 Sci-Fi Special but elsewhere we're on sparkling form. Okay so FBP 22 flounders a little, but this series is now all about the finale that we're building to now. The Fade Out 7 needs a bit of... something... its also floundering a little, but one suspects there something just around the corner.

Everything else is pure fried gold. The Spire 1 starts Spurrioso's latest collaboration with Jeff Stokely, will it be as good as 6 Gun Gorilla, well time will tell, but this is a fine set up. Both Doctors 11th 13 and 12th 9 are on fantastic form. The former building brilliantly to the 'end of season' (feel free to stop that anytime!) as it has all the way through. The latter building on Robbie Morrison finding this feet in the last arc, with the best comic in the series to date. Brian Williamson's art is much improved with the addition of Mariano Laclaustra on inks (though it does seem Clara has chubbed out a little in the face).

Sex 22 see this great series on form, as does Invisible Republic 4 and the new arc in War Stories 10 continues the much improved form of the last story, with a fantastic opening, though please can we have a new artist!

Resident Alien - The Sam Hain Mystery 2 shows that comics can really carry different stories and the pacing makes this such a gloriously fresh read, but its not quite good enough to get book of the haul. That honour and honour it is, when you consider how good these comics are on the whole, goes to Lazarus 17 the outbreak of war makes me realise how far this series has gone, how much ground has been covered in the previous 16 issues and kinda reminds me of the way the Tsar War broke out in Dante*, after the world had well and truly been built. Just great comics.

So yeah, just buy my comics, you won't go wrong!

*Well yeah its good, but very little is actually Dante good, and this isn't, just in case you think I'm getting carried away!

[Hawkmumbler]

Resident Alien - The Sam Hain Mystery 2 shows that comics can really carry different stories and the pacing makes this such a gloriously fresh read, but its not quite good enough to get book of the haul. That honour and honour it is, when you consider how good these comics are on the whole, goes to Lazarus 17 the outbreak of war makes me realise how far this series has gone, how much ground has been covered in the previous 16 issues and kinda reminds me of the way the Tsar War broke out in Dante*, after the world had well and truly been built. Just great comics.

Resident Alien is on my ever growing list of titles to investigate, give me a good modern X-Files type comic anyday, and having just this second finished Lazarus volume 1 can add it to th next Image series i'll be bulk buying. Bloody fantastic science fiction, but i'll write a review for my blog for full details.

This week is a sad week, as Godzilla Rulers of Earth #25 brings the series to a close. It's a fantastic, explosive and just full of Kaiju goodness ending, but as a wrap up to the blongest title the Big G has ever been in, it feel's a little underwhelming compared to all thats come before. Go swiftly now, my friend, for yours was a good run.

Concerning The Maxx #21...i'm not even certain if half the cast aren't on drugs of some variety at this point. The bloody CIA are involved now. What...what is even....ah fuck it. Another steller issue of this psychedelic mind fuck. Big Man Plans #4 brings this Powell mini to a close as well. Damn sad to see it go as, despite being morbid as all hell at times, it was a great thriller-borror fair with a great mystery running throughout.

Alrighty...Saga #30. So, last months cliff-hanger pissed me off a little. Now i've left that to settle awhile, hopefully the series will get back on track. It does, in grand form. I remember now why I love Saga. Never leave me you beautiful little comic you.

Both Death Sentence London #2 and Doctor Who 11th #14 are awesome, once again, with the former in the developing stages and the latter hurteling towards it's season finale. All is good with the world.

Weekly Shonen Jump #33 see's Naruto wrap up once again and head on it's merry way. This mini has been fun, if contrived, and I wish Kishimoto well with his next project.

[Colin YNWA]

Resident Alien - The Sam Hain Mystery 2 shows that comics can really carry different stories and the pacing makes this such a gloriously fresh read, but its not quite good enough to get book of the haul.

Resident Alien is on my ever growing list of titles to investigate, give me a good modern X-Files type comic anyday...

To be honest its not even that, though does kinda bubble away in the background. Its just a really low key murder mystery book... well we're not even sure we have a murder this time, beautifully realised.

Oh and you know last week I listed about 5 new titles I'm thinking about adding to my pull list, from Image and Dark Horse (details pending). Well Vertigo have released the titles and creative teams for 12 new comics coming at the end of the year.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/07/09/sdcc-15-vertigo-adds-a-dozen-new-titles-for-the-fall-including-lucifer/*

So while these need more detail before I even consider checkin' um out some of the creative teams are mighty tempting...

...sigh...

...so much for my pull list dwindling to nice low levels...

*When linking to comic stories I'm torn between the increasing annoying to load CBR (what is going on with that site?) and driving people to Bleeding Cool with its frankly shockingly bad new front end. 

[Greg M.]

"A dozen new Vertigo titles - one of them's bound to be a Pete Milligan, surely?" were my thoughts on reading this. And inevitably, I was right, so that's one for me to check out. Plus - Red Thorn by David Baillie - Scottish mythology and modern Scottish setting? I'm there.

[Hawkmumbler]

What a lovely day! The sun is shining, I have beer, and an IPad full of comics. What could be better?

Well turns out quite a bit, as Groo Friends and Foes #7 continues to be stupendesly good fun, in no small aprt down to the creative team. Evanier writes such a tightly packed story in si few pages, with such a charming sense of humour as to be ine of a kind. Aragones art might seem to be simplistic and crude, but is smattered with masterful detail and a real sense of individuality, with a wealth of character expression. A glorious series, should be enjoyed by all.

Big Trouble in Little China #13 be introduces a new writer and artist duo, and sadly it all feels a little 'meh' compared to Powell's run. I'll give it a few more issues before casting final jusgement, however. Reanimator #4 brings the smashing mini to a conclusion, and is highly recomended on my part to any fans of the original. A class horror comic. And a new Godzilla comic launches to fill the void left by the last ongoing run, but this one is another James Stokoe mini, Godzilla in Hell #1 is very perplexing, as it's as much a mystery comic as it is kaiju one. We have no idea from the get go WHY the big G is cast into hell, but it's sure as hell pretty to look at.

Graham Brandons new series, Island #1, has an incredible opening issue. A beautifully ilustrated sci-fi comic and rightly put me in the mood for a Prophet marathon. I assume the local super fan of the aformentioned title will be giving this a pick up also.

Usagi Yojimbo #147 is ince again a master class in comics.

6 Voyages of Lone Sloane by Druillet has a new HC out by Titan. It's an LSD induced, nightmare fuelling, psychedelic mind fuck of a comic. And it's magnificent. Really, bloody fantastic top tier sci-fi. Has anyone watched Jodorowskys Dune? Well it's as close to that aborted movie come documentary we'll ever get in comic format. I can't recomend it enough.

And then their's the Weekly Shonen Jump #34. The shit hit's the fan in My Hero Academia.....and Nisekoi is still just plain shit. Everything else is par for the course (i.e. mostly excellent).

[Colin YNWA]

Graham Brandons new series, Island #1, has an incredible opening issue. A beautifully ilustrated sci-fi comic and rightly put me in the mood for a Prophet marathon. I assume the local super fan of the aformentioned title will be giving this a pick up also.

Glad to hear good things about this. Sounded like an interesting format, so while I've never read Prophet, decided to give it a punt. Fingers crossed.

[Fungus]

Just got round to We Stand On Guard & The Spirit #1's and the positive comments here convinced me they'd definitely float my boat. Turns out not to be...
BKV seems to have written a survivalist piece, and there are giant robots. May reread, give it another go. Wagner's Spirit seems to have aped the early strip in tone and I found this one tough going to finish. So relentlessly old-fashioned in tone I finally realised it did exactly what it set out to, but that it was a simplistic gosh-darn it style I just don't care for.

Upside! With the glut of new comics appearing soon, discrimination is the order of the day.

[The Adventurer]

I haven't read it yet, but I got caught off guard by a new release this week...

Godzilla.

In Hell.

By James Stokoe.


Holy FUCK. His Godzilla The Half Century War series was probably my favorite Godzilla anything ever (seriously). What kind of heights is this series going to reach?!

[Hawkmumbler]

Upside! With the glut of new comics appearing soon, discrimination is the order of the day.

Ditto. I have a few mini's wrapping up soon but even more titles are going to need dropping in order for some of those lovely new Vertigo and Image titles to join the fold.