Wednesday's New Things: ...And We're Back

I got a little caught up in finals after Thanksgiving. But there's no time like the present, right?

Feathers #1 by Jorge Corona

I can't ever recall going into a preview cold and getting as excited about a comic as I am about Jorge Corona's debut. It reminds me a lot of a couple particular Sandman stories, although edging perhaps a little more closely to a youth audience. Still, there's very little shelf space for all ages comics that aren't really just kids comics, and, if this little mystery can live up to its promise, it might just open a teeny tiny bit more space. 

Treasury of Mini-Comics Vol. 2, edited by Michael Dowers

There's a lot to like about mini comics, but logistically they're an absolute pain. Locating them is a bear, storing them in a way that's easily accessible and attractive is impossible, and they're very, very easy to lose. Although treasuries like this take some of the fun out, they're also very helpful if you're looking for something in particular, or you don't live near a shop that stocks a lot of minis. There are a lot of great lights in this one; full list of contributors and a preview here. 

Casanova: Gula, written by Matt Fraction, art by Fabio Moon

Casanova is a very well respected comic, I think either the first or second major book by now both popular-and-very-well-regarded writer Matt Fraction, with a very interesting publishing history; the first two volumes were at Image, in a slightly slimer than usual format in just a few colors, then full color reprints of those two volumes and a third one from Marvel's creator owned imprint Icon, and now hardcover collections of all three volumes and a fourth one back at Image. It was also, I think an introduction to twins Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon for American readers, at the forefront of a mini-invasion of excellent Brazilian artists that also includes Rafael Grampa, Rafael Albuquerque, and Gustavo Duarte. The fact that it's moved back and forth is, I think, an indication of just how much people like this book. I will admit to having bought it in several different iterations, I can never quite make it through-- it's a very, very dense book, and there's just too many words. I keep trying because all the creators involved are favorites; Perhaps, though, it's time I try to slog through it again. 

Lady Killer, by Joelle Jones and Jamie S. Rich

The newest collaboration between Jones and Rich, the solicitation says "Betty Draper meets Hannibal" but I think a better comparison is something like "Betty Draper meets Dexter" or "Betty Draper meets Black Widow." Jones's art is slick and stylish, ever so exaggerated in just the right places and aided and abetted by the slight cartoony sheen that Laura Allred puts on the largely flat colors. This is a definite buy for me, just to see if it's as good as it looks. 

Ant-Man #1, written by Nick Spencer, art by Ramon Rosanas

Marvel's ability to synergize its televisual properties with its comics properties often leaves a lot to be desired-- that new SHIELD comic, for example? It's terrible. Here, at least, they've got the timing down, launching this new Ant-Man book the day after the debut of the first trailer for July's Ant-Man movie with Michael Douglas and Paul Rudd. The movie looks somewhere between good and pretty good and, fairly surprisingly, so does the comic. I've never heard of artist Ramon Rosanas before, but it's nice to see that Marvel hasn't completely abandoned the idea of employing artists with a sense of style, in this case the sort of blockiness that I often associate with Chris Samnee, which has the upside of being both appealing and accessible. I'm not sure anyone feels particularly strongly about the Scott Lang version of the character (and I know how most people feel about Hank Pym), but, if nothing else, this one is worth a shot. 

Fungus: The Unbearable Rot of Being, by James Kolchaka

From the solicitation: "Eisner Award-winner James Kochalka presents a forest full of cute but strange fungus creatures that live beneath our feet. “Fungus: The Unbearable Rot of Being” contains 11 chapters of little fungal creatures ruminating on a variety of topics, including such bizarre mysteries as “comics” and “philosophy”, “cyberspace” and “redemption”. A surreal and funny outside look at the elements of our own reality" [sic]. Mushrooms and philosophy? What could be bad. 

Wolverines #1, written by Charles Soule, art by Nick Bradshaw

This is basically from the annals of WHO IS THIS COMIC FOR...but, I dunno, maybe this one just might work. I'm suspicious of a weekly comic priced a $3.99, and I guess I was naive to think that "no Wolverine until 2016" really meant "no Wolverine until 2016." Furthermore, its a comic that stars a bunch of more or less minor Wolverine characters fighting it out to determine what to do with his adamantium encased body? I just sounds like a terrible idea. But Charles Soule is an excellent writer and Nick Bradshaw did some very fun stuff on Wolverine and the X-Men. It's probably not for me, and the preview isn't very encouraging. But maybe, just maybe...