New Comic Book Day Megathread

[Hawkmumbler]

Sometimes, in my ballooning pull list, I forget which titles truly mean the most to me and which one's are just enjoyable passing interests. Not this week. I couldn't avoid the feeling this week. 3 conclusions! My hearts could not take it.

So going in reverse order this week, Weekly Shonen Jump #45 presents some stunning material as ever. Toriko was a magnificent case of condensed story telling (with added Monkey King action), while One Piece does what it does best. Juggling multiple story lines and crazy concepts ([spoiler]An island. That moves. And just so happens to be a 2000 year old elephant.[/spoiler]). World Trigger remembers what the main plot thread is, in contrast My Hero Academia never lets up as the young hero's are faced with new threats. Also, I've always like Tokoyami and Frog Girl as side characters so nice to see them do something for a change.

Now, onto the conclusions. Copperhead #10 leaves me with aches as we'll have to wait another few months before we see it again. Which is a crying shame as this second arc has been superb as ever, and I was left hankering after #9 to see if [spoiler]Boo would pull through. A tragic trick to play on us, Mr. Faerber.[/spoiler] Let's hope to see it return soon as the good old space western has become a staple and favorite of mine. Good shit, basically!

Next, and more frustratingly, Age of Reptiles Ancient Egyptians #4. Why so frustrating, you ask? Because it's so damn good, and so damn fine, and I HAVE NO IDEA IF WE'LL EVER SEE ANOTHER SERIES AGAIN! Thats the nature of mini series that share a common mantel, I suppose. They come and go as seen fit by the mighty creators, and as much as we beg we are completely at their mercy. But please, Mr. Delgado, can't we have an Age of Reptiles mini every year?

And finally. Goon Once Upon A Hard Time #4. Their have been a few comics consistent in my long box since I started reading comics. 2000AD, D.Gray-Man...and Eric Powells...wonderful, delirious, brilliant. The Goon. It's always been one of the most entertaining, action filled  and clever comics on the stands with gorgeous art work and wonderful writing. I've loved it, ever since I read the first trade and fell in love with this world filled with Eisneresque brutes, fantastical creatures with latent flaws, and airborne mollosque militia! But after a 8 year readership, it's time to say goodbye. The increasingly dark and cynicle (but no less hilarious) story arcs of recent years have all lead to this inevitable encounter between Goon and his nemesis. And heads have rolled. Powell has said he isn't finished with the world he's invented, and intends to begin a new series next year. But it wont be the same, though i'm sure it will be excellent. It pains me to see a series I have loved for so long end, but The Goon is going out in fine form and will remain a firm favorite of mine, and many others, for years to come. 'sniff'

[Colin YNWA]

Yeah its a crime that Copperhead isn't shifting the kinds of numbers that mean it can sustain schedule some of Images bigger seller, but lesser titles do. I mean I've just finished Saga Book 5 and sure its not like its bad comics, far from it, its fun, but its not great comics. Copperhead is.

[Hawkmumbler]

Oh, so the sales are whats effecting the release schedule. I merely assumed Jay Faerber had decided to go with 5 issue 'seasons', as the release format. How well does Copperhead sell in comparison to, say, Saga (which i'm sure is an Image cash cow) and....Spread (which i'm sure sell's even less than Copperhead, for shame really). I would have assumed with Faerber at the helm it would have sold quite well.

[Colin YNWA]

Sorry - just to be clear I've read nowhere that this is the case. I'm speculating which is unfair. I'm basing my thoughts on the fact that Copperhead sells in an okay range, but to sustain the creators involvment they might need cash flow injections from other work. It could just as easily (or possibly more likely) just be that they choose to keep their fingers in different pies.

[Hawkmumbler]

Whoops! Sorry, my mistake. That being said, the sooner Copperhead becomes an ongoing monthly the better off we will all be.

[Hawkmumbler]

RIGHT! I've jumped on Invincible. About time I did, and as soon as I found out #118 was free on Comixology and was the perfect jumping on point, I couldn't resist a catch up slog.

[The Adventurer]

If you've enjoyed Savage Dragon and Jack Staff, I see no reason you shouldn't enjoy Invincible.

[PreacherCain]

That artist on Copperhead 

[Hawkmumbler]

A faily sparse week, this week. But some goodies mixed in all the same.

The Maxx #24 is once again, nuts in the best possible way. A giant yellow slug? Piranhas? Psychadelic nightmare food? All par for the course as Sarah continues her self destructive decent into madness. Interesting how she's starting to share certain character traits with [spoiler]Mr. Gone.[/spoiler] Thats not good news..l

Now, i've always been interested in the mythology of Witchblade. And i've enjoyed the characters and atributes when they've popped up in other Image titles, but for some reason the chain mail bikini art of the main title always drove me away. Stjepan Sejic, artist behind Rat Queens, has rebooted the series however and all garish trappings have been shrugged away, and whats left is a wonderfully fun teenage superhero tale in Switch #1. Quite excellent fun, thats just drops you into the world of Witchblade. Good stuff good stuff.

War Stroies #13 continues to be good war time entertainment, but with the new Johnny Red series on the way I fear this will come acropoer of the two and should be best left trade waiting. We shall see. Weekly Shonen Jump #46 is superb, as per. Even the ussualy middiling World Trigger stepped up it's game tihs week. And of course, Hero Academia was top notch once again. Wonderful times for the Jump, even with One-Punch Man MIA.

[Colin YNWA]

My haul was really quite good.
My comics are fantastic you see
When Garth Ennis War Stories is the worst of them
It good comics I get you can see*

So yeah I get good comics. Its not as if War Stories 13 was bad, far from it, it was in fact pretty damned good, but poor art and the fact its not set off quite as well as the last couple of archs have mean it was probably the weakest of the haul.

I've said elsewhere that the thought of Si Spurrier joining Simon Fraser, Rob Williams and co on Doctor 11th Year 2 no. 1 (god these titles are getting a bit silly!) had me all excited, well the issue was therefore a little disappointing. It was mighty fine fun, but a little but hectic and flow all of the place, even if it was actually quite simple. Still really enjoyed it and looking forward to seeing how it pulls everything together next month.

Hip Hop Family Tree 2 continues to tell a fascinatating story a little too quickly. Loved the Blondie bits and overall this comic is a delight.

Any of the remaining three comics could be book of the haul. The Maxx 24 seems to have lost Messnor Loeb, which I thought would be a shame, but none of it, a crazy wonder, as ever this comic is and its really building to something. When the prospect of a serial killing giant yellow slug in a comic about childhood abandonment makes you nervous about whats to come (in a good way) you know what you are reading is pretty damned special. This really is a unique comic. Paper Girls 1 is really a pretty good comic. I seem to be catching up with a lot of Brian K Vaughan's work lately and its all pretty good, though why Saga seems to be lauded above some much else escapes me, so far the weakest thing of his I've read!. Anyway this is a quite brilliant opener and I can't wait to see where it goes and as ever Cliff Chiang produces some exquisite art . I think I'll give book of the haul though to Copperhead 10, Goddamn this is a 2000ad comic in all but location and a bloody good one at that, quite fantastic comics. Everything about it just sings and it wraps up the second arch quite thrillingly, and boy what a way to set up the third! Can't wait for this book to be back, one of the best currently out there, go buy it.

*To the tune of My Bonny Lies Over the Ocean

[Proudhuff]

Jings a mega haul for me yesterday on top of the Megazine and Prog:

I Picked up the TPB for The Doctor The weeping Angels of Mons, excellent.
also TWD 147 which was all talking heads and no WD, strangely it was top notch.
Enjoyed:
Rebels #7
Strange Fruit #2
We stand on Guard #4
Yet to read:
Brain Woods' Valkyrie,
Crossed 100 #10
Starve#5
War Stories #13

The last four will be a reward for doing the domestic cleaning and such today, as the staff have the day orf 

[Hawkmumbler]

though why Saga seems to be lauded above some much else escapes me, so far the weakest thing of his I've read!.

Right place, right time, right demograph interested in the media. Basically the number of readers who are either/and none white western european/american and align with sexual and gender minorities, which a great deal of mainstream comics previously lacked representation of. Now the aformentioned groups have a conduet to gush over and the effects it's had on the comic book industry in recent years has been titanic.

Oh, sure, personaly i've considered the last few arcs to be subpar but I still find myself coming back for more.

[The Adventurer]

Of all the Brian K Vaughn series I've tried over the years it's the one I've stuck with the longest. Usually some arc comes along and kills my interest. In Y the Last Man it was Safeword, in Ex Machina it was the second. Saga almost got me with the Drug/infidelity stuff, but managed to redeem itself by the end of the arc for me. It's quite good right now.

[The Adventurer]

Oh shit, FINDER is back in the pages of Dark Horse Presents, I guess I'll be reading that again for the foreseeable future.

[Hawkmumbler]

Well while the rest of the family where watching idiots annually I was able to spend the evening in with the comic haul!

First up was Death Sentence London #5 and i'm now convinced I want to marry Montynero. The mans a genius, and between the two titles in the Death Sentence saga i'm convinced he's moving on to big things. Such a terrific, rip roaring tale enffused with gorgeous visuals and fun, spunky characters. More, please, more!

Groo and Friends #10 heads towards it's conclusion, bearing in mind though this has been a series of one shots I wouldn't have known had Comixology not forewarned me. Only 2 issues remaining and it's been a glorious fun time. Really quite a wonderful comic, expressive art and characters and Aragones just brims the comic with a sense of childish mischief, it's really quite infectious. The same mischief, but in more restrained measurements, can be found in Usagi Yojimbo #149. Sakai has by this point woven a wonderful world, and seem's very happy to just tell self contained tales. Indeed, Usagi bares many hallmarks with Lone Wolf and Cub, another series I adore. But thats for another day.

Elsewhere, Doctor Who 12th Doctor #13 and Godzilla in Hell #4 are just OK. Not the high points for either title but they aren't entirely dull either. I also nabbed Tokyo Ghost #1 and #2 but haven't had the time to read them yet (boopboopboop procrastination). Invincible #124 begins the long awaited 'Reboot' story arc. It's a bit deja vu for me right now, currently hacking my way through the first two compendium volumes, as it takes Mark back to #1, as a powerless teen. Good superhero comics, lot's of fun to be had and bring on the new Teen Team.

Weekly Shonen Jump #47 throws several spanners in the works. God knows whats going on in Toriko right now. Yaoyorozu has simultaneously the greatest and lamest super power ever in Hero Academia, and in One-Punch Man, Metal Bat is a lot cooler than I thought he was and Caped Baldy punches a shark. To death.

Book of the week goes to Will Eisner's Matt Wagner's The Spirit #4. Built with such intrigue and mystery, and such investment put behind Ebony and Sammy's hunt for The Spirit, and such detail put into each and every villein or femme fatale vested upon the titular hero at some point. Utterly delightful reading, and as an added bonus, I actually have NO IDEA how the mystery could possible be resolved. It's that good!