New Comic Book Day Megathread

[Colin YNWA]

Thanks Jim, to make up for lazy assness I've ordered all the issues to date via Comixology and decided to make this a digital title.

Have to agree (as I've said here) about the art of War Stories. Its very, very frustrating, the story quality has been a little variable compared to original series and the Battlefields mini's but by and large good enough to keep me going, but by heck that art tries my patience!

[Fungus]

The new comics keep coming so some effort to check them out...

Unfollow 1 - very good, and usual great Dowling art. More about a clash of richly contrasting characters than too much on the social media theorising. I hope, at least. Lots of potential.

Martian Manhunter 1 - Enjoyable quirky stuff from Williams, this is the way to do bonkers stock DC characters...

(Not new, but finally read Ichabod Azrael 1 (US format) to continue the Williams theme and was floored. Hadn't read the original run and the language and tone is beautiful. Cool B & W art too. Best comic I've read in a long time, rich & engrossing. Wow  )

The Vision 1 - Read good things about this somewhere and it didn't disappoint. Not familiar with Tom King but the writing was slick on the domestic setup and of course Things Happen before the first issue is out. Very enjoyable.

Klaus 1 - Not for me, I gave it a shot but it didn't seem to offer up much. Perhaps Morrison was inspired by a Bruegel winter scene and wanted to write something completely different from the norm. The villains of the piece seemed to twirl their 'tache tediously and the magical elements popped up annoyingly. Didn't hook me enough to bother with the 5 remaining issues. Also felt the subtitled 'Santa Claus...' was unnecessary. A few readers might have made that connection themselves to greater effect as the story progressed (and certainly by the end of issue 1).

The Maxx Maximized 25 - Hopeful for this one and was prepared to be won over by the art but struggle with the story. Turns out I love them both and I'm on board. Hawkmonger has pointed out it's all reprint (which explains a bit about the style) but the small print throughout never mentions that. I guess they're not obliged to, but 'Originally published in 199x' would be welcomed. Perhaps someone decided that might damage sales. Anyway, the art is gloriously dynamic and extreme without being annoying, bold when it has to be, and the tale entertained and had its share of pathos before the issue wrapped up. I feared that jumping on here would prove confusing, but it filled in lots of blanks (but not all, obviously) and never let up. I even laughed. Subscribed.

[Hawkmumbler]

Well god damn it, Dream Gang is back in Dark Horse Presents #16. Sigh, if this wasn't so good I wouldn't keep coming back to it because it's a rather lackluster anthology at times. That being said, theirs a neato Hellboy one-shot in this one and all, which is kind of wetting my appetite for those Library editions. Sooo tasty looking!

Book of the week, indeed possibly of the month must go to Usagi Yojimbo #150. By jesus this is good stuff indeed, just simply the best. Sakai weaves a story of a western swords man in Japan and his less than gentlemanly request to view a sepukku. Such a brilliantly heart wrenching tale can only come from one of the masters of the comics industry. It should also be pointed out, even by Usagi standards this is a great jumping on point.

Weekly Shonen Jump #51 gives us the return of Kaito with her new Baseball series, Buddy Strike. Now, I know next to nothing about baseball, but then I knew nothing about Lacrosse but that didn't stop me enjoying her Cross Manage manga. This has the same basic formula, with a duff ball who has a big dream can't seem to get a lucky break until they meet a special friend who can help tem along. It's fun, charming, and often chuckle worthy and very much inoffensive. I wouldn't say no to keepi it around, not least because Kaito can draw like a beast. Meanwhile, in Food Wars things get wierd. Why do dormatories keep stocks of SWAT shields and HP-hose.....ah, yeah. It's Food Wars. Logic be damned.

wraps up the big G's journey into the unknown, as he faces multiple incarnations of hellish versions of his huge villein roster. It's been a fun, if not exactly essential reading for a Godzilla fan, and might have been better if Stokoe had stayed on after #1. Much more of itruiging though was Invincible #125, Reboot part 2. Christ on a stick it's all getting a bit Crisis on Infinite Earths as Mark tries to keep the time stream accurate yet still make things out for the better. But the real question remains, where's Robot at?
Tokyo Ghost #3 is awesome and really quite intruiging, can't wait to see where this goes in future, whilst Ultraman vol.2 continues to be just about the damndest thing and a joy to read.

[Colin YNWA]

Well I've been busy so its been three weeks since my last haul. So a lot in my bundle this month and quite excitingly a HECK of a lot of new stuff. So I'm splitting me whittering into two bit, new stuff and regular stuff.

Seems fitting to start with new stuff. The best place it start with new stuff. And what better place to start the new stuff with an issue 2. Paper Girls 2 wasn't quite as good as issue one as things moved from the lovely nostalgic setting into crazy monster fun goat alien eye land. But by heck its fun. 2 issues in and I suspect it past its 3 issue test already. The two least ace first issues where Hercules 1 and Klaus 1, Hercules cos its a cute, nicely written story by Dan Abnett BUT it didn't yet get to the meat of the bones of the story we're lead to believe this series will be telling. Still kinda fun. Klaus didn't quite live up to its billing either, this Santa origin was pretty straight forward and un Morrison, still we'll see where it goes.

Next we have The Godamned 1 which is pretty Godamned good, its set in a fantastically realised and curiously unexplored place, well I say curiously but its one of those ideas that when seen you just think, christ why hasn't that been done before. The only question is will this series set in a horrible world, famed for its bad, bad people have anyone we can relate to. The closest we get is Cain and ya know he didn't start well!

The rest are all absolute trimuphs. UnFollow 1 is beautifully drawn by Dowling, a compelling concept from Rob Williams, really nicely and neatly crafted. Its quite fantastic. My only doubt is how the cast of... well aboyt 146 characters I'd guess will be handled. The quick introductions we get to some of the 140 we get this issue is neat and efficent BUT not what we want the series to be about. I suspect it won't be but I'm intrigued to see how its developed and how it moves away from the possible Battle Royale, Hunger Games type idea that lurks in a possible background. Next up is one I almost didn't get but I saw James Bond 1 on the shelf and thought what the heck and picked it up and it a bloody wonder. I'm pretty damned ignorant in the ways of this Warren Ellis chap but heck this is paced and ploted perfectly with just enough Bondisms to make it work with those that know the movies but enough grim grit for those that know the books.

The best of the new bunch (and possibly my haul over all) is Johnny Red 1 it was punch the air brilliant. It used an old trick of someone entering the world by tracking down an old storyteller who was there, leaving us tantalisingly unsure of Johnny fate but my God the introduction of our Liverpoolian flying ace is quite quite devine. If only all current Garth Ennis War Stories where this good!

[Colin YNWA]

So how does the rest of my haul compare to some pretty fantastic openning issues. Well okay... I guess. War Stories 14 has exactly the problems that I've mentioned so often before and others have also highlighted, sometimes it does matter how good the story is if the art is this bad it just really takes from the end result. There's a scene here of a conversation by air crew and others around a simple dining table, it needed share delivery, excellent character placement with the right artist could have been a great example of how comics do something unlike any other media. Here it was flat and utterly lifeless. Still has enough to keep me onboard despite terrible, horrible art.

Doctor Who 11th vol. 2,  no2 (stop already) was fun but kinda had the problem of last time it had way too much going on. Sex 25 was a steady issue of this winning series. The Maxx 25, so please Fungus is on board this stuningly unique series so the more people who get this the better. There really is nothing, nothing like it anywhere else. Lazarus 20 was brill fun, if the tank thing was soooo cliche.

Pick of the bunch though was the return of the superb Autumnlands 7 it returns in quite superb form and I'm so happy its back and still quite amazingly good.

[Hawkmumbler]

James Bond 1 on the shelf and thought what the heck and picked it up and it a bloody wonder. I'm pretty damned ignorant in the ways of this Warren Ellis chap but heck this is paced and ploted perfectly with just enough Bondisms to make it work with those that know the movies but enough grim grit for those that know the books.

One for the trade wait list I believe, do like me some Warren Ellis but not te biggest of fans as far as Bond is concerned.

The best of the new bunch (and possibly my haul over all) is Johnny Red 1 it was punch the air brilliant. It used an old trick of someone entering the world by tracking down an old storyteller who was there, leaving us tantalisingly unsure of Johnny fate but my God the introduction of our Liverpoolian flying ace is quite quite devine. If only all current Garth Ennis War Stories where this good!

It really is a bit fantastic, isn't it? But I wonder, to you as a fan of the original series, how does it compare? Having never read the original Battle run (though I intend to fix this soon....ish) I still found it distinctly delightful as a dogfight come war comic.

[jacob g]

This week I only found time for Meg and Tokyo Ghost #3.

I kinda like that every issue so far is slighty different and showing new aspects of their future world.

[Colin YNWA]

It really is a bit fantastic, isn't it? But I wonder, to you as a fan of the original series, how does it compare? Having never read the original Battle run (though I intend to fix this soon....ish) I still found it distinctly delightful as a dogfight come war comic.

Well it has all the elements the original did BUT the original is what it is, an exceptional kds comic. It has the dirty anti-authority edge that great 2000ad tales do but lacks modern sensiblities rather having boys own action and adventure. Which isn't to diminish it at all, cos its blooming superb BUT to remind folk what it is.

[Hawkmumbler]

It really is a bit fantastic, isn't it? But I wonder, to you as a fan of the original series, how does it compare? Having never read the original Battle run (though I intend to fix this soon....ish) I still found it distinctly delightful as a dogfight come war comic.

Well it has all the elements the original did BUT the original is what it is, an exceptional kds comic. It has the dirty anti-authority edge that great 2000ad tales do but lacks modern sensiblities rather having boys own action and adventure. Which isn't to diminish it at all, cos its blooming superb BUT to remind folk what it is.

Sounds like just my cuppa, as I love all that kids war comics malarkey. And to my eternal shame i've only just noticed Joe Colquhoun is the artist on the volumes available. That's definitely given them a boot up my 'to buy pile'.

[Hawkmumbler]

Just a warning, looking at my pull list for this week. By gravy, theirs some good stuff out this week! Wilds End alone is enough to get me through the next few days at work!

[Chris Tresson]

This is my list for this week:
All-New Wolverine #2
Art Ops #2
Batman and Robin Eternal #8
Black Magick #2
Carnage #2
Colder: Toss the Bones #3
Dark Knight III: The Master Race #1
Fight Club 2 #7
Flash #46
Guardians of The Galaxy #2
Hail Hydra #4
Howling Commandos of S.H.I.E.L.D. #2
Invisible Republic #7
Justice League Of America #5
Kaptara #5
Robin: Son of Batman #6
Spawn #258
Tomorrows #5
Venom Space Knight #1
We Are Robin #6
Will Eisner's The Spirit #5

And the prog, obviously, but I've already had that. I'll probably end up with some of the other Marvel #1s, too... 2 books less than last week! 

[Colin YNWA]

Wow that's some list. Out of interest which are you favourites? Any close to the chop? This thread is about nothing if not voyeuristically looking at reading habits of others and their tastes.

[Chris Tresson]

Wow that's some list. Out of interest which are you favourites? Any close to the chop? This thread is about nothing if not voyeuristically looking at reading habits of others and their tastes.

I quite enjoy the majority of stuff I read really. Stand out stuff from that list for me are Wolverine, Fight Club 2, Art Ops and Kaptara. Tomorrows is dragging a bit but it's only a mini (though I heard they're making it an ongoing somewhere, I'll be dropping it if that's the case) and some of the Secret Wars tie-ins I've read have been pretty shlocky...

I had a recent change in circumstances (I bought into a comic shop, haha) so I'm reading about a 100 books a month nowadays. Not listed it here either but I read Jupiter's Circle Vol. 2 #1 the other day (out tomorrow) and that was pretty good. Most recent book that really wowed me was Airboy. That's just finished and I highly recommend picking up the trade when it comes out, cracking work

[Chris Tresson]

Just a heads up here... My shop has the Jock (exclusive to UK retailers!) variant for The Dark Knight III in stock for a fiver! If you're interested in getting one, message our Facebook page and we'll sort you out

https://www.facebook.com/cbsmacc/

[Link Prime]

Just a heads up here... My shop has the Jock (exclusive to UK retailers!) variant for The Dark Knight III in stock for a fiver! If you're interested in getting one, message our Facebook page and we'll sort you out

https://www.facebook.com/cbsmacc/

That's lovely.
I've actually cancelled my pre-order for DK III 1 (due into my LCS today) because the advance previews and reviews have been so positive I'm upgrading to the hardback version, due in two weeks.