New Comic Book Day Megathread

[Colin YNWA]

Well normally I come on here and extoll how wonderful my comics are... this time ... not so much.

I've been experimenting with trying some new Marvel of late and frankly most of it sucks - well the stuff I've picked anyway. After reading New Mutants 2 + 3 and Maruaders 2 + 3 my attempt to play in the X-world for the first time in years is on its knees. For some reason I'm giving these titles an extra issue each. Heavens knows why they feel so.... superfluous and have no real substance. Just like Agents of Wakanda 4, which see this one gone. We'll hear no more of Marvel until the end of this post for a series of a very different quality.

There much more but not a lot of it quite hits the spot alas.

The Weather Man Vol. 2 5 is good ... I think but this series needs a re-read now with the gaps between issues.

Inferior 5 - 4 makes me worry. I think this will be served well when its done but I worry that the individual issues are losing their cohesion.

Lois Lane 6 tells us Lois' reaction to her father's death ... in something or other, breaking this series stride somewhat. At least Jimmy Olsen 5 keeps this series marvelous mapcap adventure going strong.

Copra 3 continues to pull me in.

Lazarus - Risen 4 continues this series indulgent pace with style.

Some new series. Si Spurrier's Hellblazer 1 provides a hard edged start to this apparently grimmy take on our John. Didn't blow me away but we'll see.

Question - The deaths of Vic Sage 1 is an intriguing start. I was so excited by the package over-sized and lush art by Denys Cowan inked by the mighty Sienkiewicz makes it feel special alongside other American comics.... well until you compare it to an average copy of 2000ad and then you realise how lucky we've been for over 40 years. Still this was a good start.

Second Coming 5 is just superb as this series has been throughout.

The cast and scope of Ragnarok 3 seems to stretch this series scope a little as things explode and monster plot.

The Goon 7 even with filll in art by the excellent Brett Parson is fantastic.

Books of this over-sized haul are no doubt the opposite end of the Marvel scale Immortal Hulk 27 and 28. Just brilliant. This series has taken a further step up since the shift in issue 25 and its getting better and better. A re-read of the earlier stuff is in order... one day.

[Colin YNWA]

History of the Marvel Universe 6 sets out almost perfectly why I'm dropping two titles after this haul. Its a great read but sets out what my issues are with Marvel (and I'd assume DC but I've not tried the experiment with DC I just tried with Marvel) these days. The last issue in this fun recap of the entirity of Marvel history, covers events after I stopped reading Marvel regularly - Original Sin (I had to look that up) to date with a fun smattering of future stuff cleverly weaved into the bookending pieces to leave them suitably vague to allow wiggle room. Anyway almost all of it is Original Sin to date, so the last 6ish years and its just one convoluted sounding event lurching into another.

Read in a well crafted piece like this, the almost incomprehensible blather this becomes really works - but doesn't make me want to read any of the stories here as it all sounds like such utter nonsense. I'm sure much of it isn't, but it doesn't draw me in, in fact it  builds barriers.

Now this leads nicely to the 2 books I'm dropping. As I've discussed here I've tried to reaccess a couple of mainstream titles - partly in an attempt to not become that person that used to drive me batty by saying 'I can't read Marvel / DC as they make no sense to me any more and its all so impenetrable." ... the trouble is I seem not to be able to read... well you get the idea.

I picked a couple of interesting sounding X-books to try, coming off the whatever event just finsihed, figuring these would be good entry points and since I had no connection with X-characters for years and years I could approach them (almost) entirely fresh and open minded and just enjoy comics by what I'd assume are some of the best creators out there, with an open mind untethered by expectation or character biase...

... they were a bit rubbish... well that's not fair. They just didn't engage me and neither New Mutants 4 or Marauders 4 have convinced me to save these titles from the chop. They didn't provide me enough as a new reader to either:

1) Give me an easy entry point. I kept getting pulled out the stories wondering about bits I wasn't getting or character relationships that weren't presented well enough for me to run with.

2) Give me enough enthusisam to do the minimal work required to find out what I needed to know.

Now compare this to Copra which had rather thrown the new reader (me) in with its new series over at Image. Now Copra failed wholeheartedly on 1, BUT has succeeded on 2 meaning that I'm finding the faults from failing with 1 almost work it its favour as because of 2 I'm intrigued by the things I don't get and want to know more, which involved either closer reading of the issue at hand, some backgriund reading - or as in this case - picking it up as I go along as I've got the back issues from some digital sale or other and they have been working their way up my reading list over the last couple of years (still some way to go but we'll get there).

Anyway fair to say that I'm not letting this experience dampened me entirely, after all its a small sample - although I've had a very similar experience with Black Panther and Agents of Wakanda at the same time - but they were just quite dull comics not told very well. What it does mean is I'll be more careful about what I pick up and it will be driven, for a wee bit at least, by creator choice rather than just gambling and plucking things at semi random. So next up on the - lets pock by nose back into the mainstream - is Al Ewings' Guardians of the Galaxy coming soon. And you can read all about that experiment here folks.

Anyway that was all much more long winded that I'd expected so lets rattle through the rest of my haul. Oh and speaking of pocking my nose back into the the mainstream Hellblazer 2 a seeming safe bet with Si Spurrier at the helm, hasn't quite convinced me yet. Its all suitably grim and gritty, tough and tetchy but is that enough? There's loads of Hellblazer comics like that so let's see how this one moves over the next couple of issues.

A much safer bet in a superhero title is the latest entry into Jeff Lemire's Black Hammer universe (I leave Pete Doherty out of that as I don't know how much, if anything, he has to do with these wider Universe titles) with an very well crafted Punisher modern age Batman hybrid in Skulldigger 1. Its a wonderfully fresh and nostaglic take on this type of 80/90 tough chap.

Book of the haul though is Jimmy Olsen 6. Why isn't this book infuriating? Month on month it drops pieces of a much larger whole into place while clearly keeping much in reserve for its remaining 6 issues. So we don't really know what's going on we're having the story rolled out in interesting style in front of us.

This is therefore the kinda comic I'd normally say would be well served by re-read when its done... and while it almost certainly will be its just so charming and this well balanced dark take on the light hearted follies of Jimmy's comic past that its irresistable at times, like this issue. I loved the cheeky charm it used to disguise the otherwise brutal beating of Jimmy and its effects on him as he sits looking suitable rocked and shocked in the back of a taxi, as the normally dependable Batman just shrugs and says sorry scamper as I can't help you with this one. Brilliant stuff.

[Colin YNWA]

Another issue of Marauders (5) snuck into my haul this time. It has all the same problems I've mentioned before so I'll move quickly on.

Another experiment this month as well. I'm trying a couple of the Joe Hill 'Hill House' comics from DC. Daphne Byrne 1, Laura Marks a writer whose work I don't know turns in a solid horror story but the magnificent Kelley Jones gets every drop of potential out of it to make moments truly chilling. Interesting start.

Lois Lane 7 is so solidly Greg Rucka. I'm not loving this but will see it through I guess.

Immortal Hulk 29 sees Al Ewing continue this comics fine current form. I'm not as sold on Joe Bennett as some, he's fine don't get me wrong but having seen what Kelley Jones does with a horror comic you have to wonder what he's do with this comic!

There's nothing to wonder about with Grendel - Devil's Odyssey 3 Matt Wagner is a master and turns in a wonderful second phase to this story as Prime lands on a ice world and gets a warm reception that quickly cools. The back story ensures this moves to new interesting places as well as the central story. Wagner just balances things perfectly.

This might well of been comic of the haul had it not been for Michel Fiffe (both his first and last name seem to be missing a letter!) bringing me what I'd been asking for in Copra 4. Things settle down, and in that the new reader (me) gets to breathe and  really engage with the characters. Okay there are moments when the expostion feels a little forced but this one lands and I feel primed and ready for the next seeming epic story. Now that looks New Godstastic.

[dweezil2]

Punisher: Soviet #3 was every bit as good as the previous two and we're getting to the meat of the story now, figuratively and literally.

Frank Castle really seems to bring out the best in our ex-droid Garth Ennis and his continued strong writing and the fantastic art makes this an essential read.

[Colin YNWA]

Well if last time was a bit mah - this haul is golden, well most of it.

Spurrioso's Hellblazer 3 is so solidly John Constantine, not so much a bad thing but I keep wanting it to surprise me. Still we'll see how we go.

The Weather man 6 see the second book of this series end. Its pretty good but the whole thing needs a re-read before the third and final arc.

Immortal Hulk 30 and Jimmy Olsen 7 are great additions to these great series.

I love a western and Jeff Lemire (in a Lemire Power hour (tm) Space Spinner 2000) with Deny Cown and Bill Sienkiewicz take The Question 2 to firmly classic western territory. This therefore works for me. Second part of the power hour, Skulldigger 2 is a fantastic second part of Black Hammer does Punisher via Batman Year One. Its superb stuff.

Before we get to a trio of quite brilliant first parts we have a quite brilliant final part as Seconding Coming 6 brings the first adventures of Superman Sunstar and Jesus to its brilliant conclusion. Luckily the brilliant Mark Russell will be bringing us back for more. Brilliant.

So what stops this brilliant finale from being book of the haul. Is it Protector 1. Nah hah, I mean its good with a really fresh and thrilling take on the cliche Canadian meets Far Eastern (or is it South Sea Island) post apocolypalic future world. Damn this throws you in with a real drive and purpose.

Is it Usagi Yojimbo - Colour Classics 1 - nah hah, well why I choice this colourising (controversial of course) of this classic series escapes me. I did however (well I have some digital stories flying up my reading list) and I'm so glad I did. If this origin story is anything like the rest I'm going to enjoy finally catching onto this one.

Is it the janitor - could be...

...but its not its Al Ewings Guardians of the Galaxy 1. I have no real interest in this title, but Al Ewing made me give it a try and I'm damned glad it did. This is a magnificent start. Its pulse pounding cosmic superhero nonsense at its very best as a selection of folks half of whom I don't really know clash with some re-imagined Greek Gods gone bad... why you need to re-imagine them to do that escapes me, but fuck it it works. And that ending is so cool. Highest recommendation.

[Rately]

The quality of Al Ewing's output is astounding.

I would be pushed to have read a better, more surprising and interesting book than The Immortal Hulk in recent years.

Now a Guardians Of The Galaxy book? Have to fire up the old Comixology.

[IAMTHESYSTEM]

Comic Books sales, according to DTT.


https://downthetubes.net/?p=115102&fbclid=IwAR1Gc44Dw5dApq_JDxT_IYLYBftjYMs0xo2sFEEJkYXxs2GIi0pzLNR9UgM

[Colin YNWA]

Well for whatever reason this haul has a bunch of first issues and I have to say all of them really hit the spot and serve their purpose as firsts. Embroiling me into their world's, intriguing me with their characters and effectively setting up situations I want to learn more about. Its interesting but my recent flirtation with trying a few random Marvel times from the newly relaunched X-range just failed to do this - though fair to say a couple of Marvel comics have been fine and specifically Al Ewing's Guardians of the Galaxy which I'll return to later.

So a massive well done to:

Michael Avon Oeming's The After Realm 1 - who knew I needed another Ragnarok story in my life.

Spurrioso's Alienated 1 a teen aged Resident Alien? Lovely art by Chris Wildgoose  too.

The Man who F#&%ed up time 1 John  Layman's play on that old Future Shock staple of screwing the time stream with lovely art by Karl Mostert.

Plunge 1 Joe Hill blasting out the block and then steady drawing us into a really creepy ending. With lovely art by Stuart Immonen.

Backtrack 1 deal with the Devil meets Mad Max via ... some genra classic about being lost in time that I can't pull out my ass right now. With some lovely art (if at times a little inconsistent) by Jake Elphick. Man the lettering is good though by someone called Jim Campwell or some such.

We get anoteher 1 but this one doesn't count as its a one shot the slightly needless The Immortal Hulk - Great Power 1. I learnt nothing really about Immortal Hulk, nothing about Spidey and while this was fun it felt like an exercise in milking the cash cow.

So the trick is for all of these ongoing 1s is taking those characters and sustaining them into their second and subsequent issues. And I got two 2s in this haul as well.

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 remains pretty good. Doesn't quite hold up the excellence of the first issue as it throws so much at us - still entirely entertaining. Daphne Byrne 2 is all the more successful, building delightfully in what we got the first time, developing character wonderfully and in the issue itself building to a truly creepy ending. Fantastic stuff.

Only one 3 in Skulldigger 3 another truly magnificent entry into Jeff Lemire's Black Hammer world as this series really catches fire. One #5 in Copra 5 as Michel Fiffe is setting up his next big story and man if this is set up I can't want until he really gets going!

For whatever reason I also have a bunch of #8s, I wish I could drag out some significent we can learn from #8 but I can't so I'll just mention that Lois Lane 8 continues to be okay, JImmy Olsen 8 is a magnificent blend of the zany from the old comic with a nice dark undertone. The Goon 8 end the current storyline with typical brutal nonsense, nonsense fun.

In the world of modern comics we also a vertiable veteran in Immortal Hulk 31 - what comic gets to #31 these days - well one this good I guess and long may it continue.

So comic of the haul why all those #1s deserve it as a job lot. It was a delight to have so many great new and diverse stories to engage me. It was like a 2000ad launch Prog it was so good!

[Colin YNWA]

Microhaul this time as I popped to pick up Previews.

Protector 2 is a perfectly servicable comic the trouble is I didn't remember enough of the specifics form issue one to really have a clue. Its me not the comic but this one needs a re-read already. Fun though this was.

The simply story in Usagi Yojimbo 2 (Colour Classics - sorry!) means I'm well on board with this still. Great comic.

But not as great as Hellblazer 4 which is quite, quite brilliant. This felt exactly like the John Constantine comic I wanted from Si Spurrioso but the first story didn't deliver. Let's see where this goes but the first episode was hilarious with a fantastically grim and chilling undercurrent. Of and the art by Matias Bergara was devine.

and that's all folks.

[karlos]

Decorum #1 - stonking.

The Cimmerian: Queen of the Black Coast #1 - new Conan but not from Marvel.  Good stuff, especially if you're a Conan fan who isn't digging the current Marvel stuff.

[Colin YNWA]

Well this could be the last time I do one of these for a while. My Local Nerd Shop has closed - I mean its closed until all this is over - come on people get some perspective where am I meant to do my panic shopping now?... What... that was meant to be for food and cleaning products....

....damnit I got that panic buying all wrong...

...Anyway there was a bountiful haul in my last visit.

Sometime you can tell how good an issue one has been by how much you remember when you read issue two. So on that basis alone Backtrack 2 tells us that 1 was a success and two is likewise. The art has some wobbly moments but this car race through time for the devil (?) has many raw and simple thrill. Alienated 2 tells us less postive things as I didn't really remember the characters distinctly reading this and it was doing the with great power comes great responsibility thing which we've seen before. Things is I think this will offer more in re-read and I think there's much more in Alienated than my tired surface reading was bringing out. Plunge 2 took me a while to get back into the swing of but once there this was HORROR, just well constructed HORROR. Finally for the number 2s The man who f#£%ed up time 2 takes the simple Future Shock premise of play with a simple thing in the past and you will change everything and runs with it with such fun gusto that the fact that its utterly original washes over you and you wonder why no one has made a 6 issue mini out of the idea rather than a 6 panel thrill before.

So how will my new number ones fare when I eventually get their number 2s. Well one suspects Strange Adventures 1 will do pretty well. I heard and read that this is all so referencial to whats going on in Tom Kings career and life and reaction to his (military? past) but since I pay non where near as much attention to such things these days who cares its a great read as Adam Stranges heroic exploits are called into doubt on a wonderfully realised book tour. X-Ray Robot 1 will be remembered very fondly as all you need to know is the title really. The Allreds doing mad science, robots and wobbly intertime schnanigans - I mean whats not to love. Join the future 1 leaves me a little worried. Now I don't know where this will go as its theme may be a bit shakey. The premise that the organised future of big govenment protecting its people and doing all they can to scrap up those who refuse to get on board reeks if libiterianism and simpler time, making a villian of progress, science and advancement... hmmm... the worry is its very well done and I loved it.... so shaky politics be damned (and possibly wrong) this was a great fun read.

Speaking of good HORROR (well I was a few paragraph ago I was anyway) that's exactly what Daphne Byrne 4 is Sam Keith's glorious gothic art perfectly complimenting Laura Marks creepy chiller. Al Ewing's (and others of course) Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is good but its no Immortal Hulk yet. Mind since we have a fine Immortal Hulk 32 already that's no bad thing I guess. This series is begging for a re-read.... if only I had some time at home or something.... oh hold on....

Lois Lane 9 is dry and gritty Jimmy Olsen 9 is fun and pithy. Grendel - Devil's Odyssey 4 is a little pedestrian to be honest, when compared to the glorious Matt Wagner's output of late. Ragnarok 4 is delightful.... well grimmy glorious and the conversation between the warrior turned wolves and the rip into Thor is an absolute trimuph. Walt Simonson has already done his defining work for many, they should read this and re-evaluate!

Book of the haul however goes to none Eric Powell The Goon 4 much to my surprise. I LOVE Eric Powell and was a little concerned when he was stepping aside to let Roger Langridge and Mile Norton take over for a bit to allow him time to work on other things and get ahead. The thing is Roger Langridge gets to The Goon so well and its hilarious, really funny. And while Mike Norton's art is clearly not as good as Powell's its still pretty damned good. What a lovely surprising piece this was.

So that's it folks for a while as we enter a horrifying new comic free landscape (for me at least - hopefully you folks in digital new comics land can keep us all entertained ... for now) stay safe and remember a 3 year long to read list needs working over in times of need.

[Rately]

Immortal Hulk 33.

Wow. Finally got caught up and not disappointed in the slightest, as Al Ewing and Joe Bennett and the whole team have delivered more chaos and carnage, and utterly jaw dropping body horror.

I rarely dip into comics for anything other than Saga, 2000AD and anything by Frank Quitely, but I'm glad I gave this a chance as it is quietly becoming probably the best mainstream book I've read in quite some time.

Al Ewing is putting together a book that is always surprising, unsettling and full of great ideas. The art is gorgeous, and the guest art by the likes of Nick Pitarra is dropped in without the book losing any cohesiveness.

Just lovely, glorious, widescreen comic brilliance.

[Colin YNWA]

Well pleased to say I've had to dig this one out of hibenation (not quite a necropost yet) as I went into twon today cos MY LCS is open and I've picked up a haul. Yep a pretty substancial one (and I added a Cinebook album in there for good measure).

Got 17 comics to wade, through. A couple of couples of Previews to trawl and we're back up to date. Luckily I was paying forward while they've been closed so wasn't hit with a big bill either.

Chuffed to be back in the game... now if only I could remember anything about these chuffing series!

[Colin YNWA]

Well here we are again. Did you miss me?

I sure as hell missed you ... well I say you... and don't get me wrong it is lovely having you around and all but well...

...you know its really the comics don't you...

...I mean nothing against you or anything, its just those comics...

...and when you've been apart so long its important to see just how strong your relationship is. Can you slip straight back into things as if you've never been away? Or is it an uphill struggle to get back onto the same page. So from the must awkward of reunions to the joyous falling back into each others arms and getting locked back into a passionate embrace as if we'd never parted, lets see how these beauties fare.

Lois Lane 10 and 11 - by 11 I was pretty much up to speed and it was okay. Just not sure I'm in a rush to find out if this comic has the depths it thinks it does

Protector 3 - its interesting and is probably fun but I was lost and I have to admit in part I blame it on the art not the gap. Re-read needed and will get to it at some point.

Hellblazer 5 and 6 - I want to love this comic and the art in issue 5 is sublime but I'm not quite feeling why this stand out as a great tale of Great Britain - I will be re-reading and am quite looking forward to it, but as much in hope as anything.

Copra 6 - Its very dynamic and all but an all silent, all splash page special needs a little more to it to make it work and not feel like an indulgence. Still back up materials was good.

Plunge 3 - Not really sure at all what's going on here but it was interesting and this one will get re-read with gusto.

Jimmy Olsen 10 - The mystery is revealed and this one is so much fun even if I can't quite remember all the parts I don't really mind.

Alienated 3 - well in this case the break has done us good. I'm seeing this one with fresh eyes and any re-read will be relished to  see what I was missing before.

Immortal Hulk 33 (750) - who knows (or cares) how Marvel are scoring this one but another celebration issue and this one has much to celebrate. I'm going to re-read this but that will be to dewell and find deeper understanding appreciation.

Daphne Byrne 4 -  Pulls you straight back in, is as creepy as all hell and will be re-read through half closed fingers.

Lazarus Risen 4 - This comic trains you to get used to the breaks with its quarterly schedule but unlike on Lois on Forever Greg Rucka knows how to tell the tale in single, all be it luxurious chunks. Its part of a whole and yet beautifully self contained.

Ragnarok - The breaking of Helheim 5 - you could be utterly lost and still happily whallow in Walt Simonson's art and storytelling. The man's a true craftsman.

Billionaire Island 1 - would be book of the haul but it has the advantage of being a first issue. But man what a first issue. Mark Russell is very possibly the sharpest comic book writer there is these days. This is brilliant as we are introduced to worlds, characters, made to care about what's going on, and all with more knowing pokes at us and the world than you could shake, well Loads O Money at. The only thing that's wrong with this comic is it doesn't smell as nice as some of the others. Its a bit pungent.

Usagi Yojimbo Colour Classics 3 - I'm sure that puriests will curse the colour, but as this is my first Yojimbo and cool with it and when comics are told this cleanly, this grippingly and this well who would care anyway.

The Goon 10 - get book of the Haul even though its not Eric Powell. Roger Langridge and Mike Norton do perfect The Goon. Its funny, glorious on the eye and just grabs you. If its this good when Eric Powell is away, imagine what it will be like when he's back!

And so are we. Its good ain't it.

[Link Prime]

...and when you've been apart so long its important to see just how strong your relationship is. Can you slip straight back into things as if you've never been away? Or is it an uphill struggle to get back onto the same page. So from the must awkward of reunions to the joyous falling back into each others arms and getting locked back into a passionate embrace as if we'd never parted, lets see how these beauties fare.

Plunge 3 - Not really sure at all what's going on here but it was interesting and this one will get re-read with gusto.

Daphne Byrne 4 -  Pulls you straight back in, is as creepy as all hell and will be re-read through half closed fingers.

As with most of ye, I have (had) a huge reading pile, so barely noticed any effect from the pandemic shut down.
I've been collecting all of the 'Hill House' books, and generally enjoying 'em.
Top tier are The Dollhouse Family and Basketful of heads (both just recently completed).
I'd rate Daphne Byrne too - suiting the artistic talents of Kelly Jones like a glove, but can't really get into Low Low Woods or Plunge.
The two page back-up strip in every issue is great, but maybe hindered by an unwieldy cast.

Great art throughout mind, and all titles would likely appeal to 2000AD readers.