Wednesday's New Things: Waiting for a Superman Trade Paperback

Saga Deluxe Edition Vol 1. written by Brian K. Vaughn, art by Fiona Staples. Iron Fist: The Living Weapon Vol. 1, by Kaare Andrews

Two different kinds of collected comics, two different reasons for thinking about picking them up. I've wanted to buy a Saga collection for my bookshelf since I fell behind on the comics almost a year ago and this deluxe volume seems like a good bet. It collects the first 18 issues, so through the time when I stopped reading, and I bet it's beautiful, the kind of format I want to own a series like Saga in. Of course, if I start buying in the format then I'm committed to buying in this format, and it'll probably be 18 months or more before I can move on-- which is a big check in the con column. Kaare Andrews's Iron Fist series looked great when I bought the first issue, but I decided to wait for the trade. I'll probably pick it up one of these days. 

Multiversity: Pax Americana, written by Grant Morrison, art by Frank Quitely

This project is fascinating for me. It's like that really fun Marvel Exiles book from when I was a teenager, but all grown up. This particular book is interesting to me, though, in part because it features the Charleston characters, many of whom Alan Moore cribbed for Watchmen, and some of whom have since entered the mainstream DC continuities. The cultural force of Watchmen has grown so great that one of the comments on the Newsarama preview actually asks if the inclusion of the Question (originally an objectivist character created by objectivist Steve Ditko) is an oblique reference to Rorschach, which I point out not so that we can laugh, but instead to suggest that the whole thing eats itself. How Morrison, himself a referencer extraordinaire, will choose to play with this irony, and him not choosing to play with it will be itself interesting, will likely make excellent reading. Also, anything that Quitely draws is a treat; its good to see him back at the drawing board. 

Intersect by Ray Fawkes

This one looks fun and beautiful, although perhaps a mite hard to follow.

Nancy Loves Sluggo: Complete Dailies 1949-1951 by Ernie Bushmiller

This is one of those things I'll have to pick up one day. I've heard nothing but good things about Nancy, the most recent of which came from Carol Tyler at ICAF. As I begin to look more seriously at comics strips (and in particular Peanuts, which debuted during the period that this collection covers) this will be one of the first places I'll go. 

Black Widow #12, written by Nathan Edmonson, art by Phil Noto, ft. Anderson Cooper (!?)