Waiting for Wednesday, Issue 7

Oh--I'm sorry. I didn't see you there, friend. Why, I'll bet you're here for this week's wildly popular Waiting for Wednesday column, am I right?

No? But--

Newsarama, you say? Stupid, messed up Google search took you to this nickel-and-dime blog instead and you hate it and wish it would--

Okay, okay. No need to yell.

And that comment about the lightsaber and the turtle was totally uncalled for and, quite frankly, impossible...

Sheesh. Some people.

Well, if--uh--you have come here for this week's Waiting, and you don't have a--uh--lightsaber (and/or a turtle), then you're in luck!

Stupid, trying-to-be-funny-openings aside, let's get to this week's Books Alex is Going to Buy, Happily:

First up, we have an interesting title from Dark Horse which, despite long delays between this issue and last, I've been enjoying. It's called The Cleaners, and it's another one of those hard-to-classify titles. Basically a mixture between crime drama (if you're a fan of procedural shows such as CSI, then this book is right up your alley) and horror.

Written by Mark Wheaton (writer of the recently released Friday the 13th remake) and Josh Fialkov (writer of Punks, the Comic and runs of popular horror comics), this is one of those titles that's going to develop a cult following, I think.

Here's this week's creepy as all get out cover:

And here's Dark Horse's introductory blurb for the series:

In the dark tradition of Los Angeles noir, The Cleaners is a terrifying new mystery series about a ragtag team of for-hire trauma-scene cleaners led by ex-surgeon Robert Bellarmine. Contracted with sanitizing some of the nastiest crime and accident scenes in the tri-county L.A. basin, the team battles against what could only be described as the grim, unknowable face of the supernatural.

But by focusing on the scientific explanation, no matter how aberrant or extraordinary, they counteract centuries-old superstition to prove things are seldom what they seem...

In this miniseries, the cleaners crew takes on a series of gruesome tasks starting with a bloodbath that covers an entire neighborhood. This investigation leads them toward uncovering a disturbing mystery involving missing children, which dates back longer than the history of the city itself.

Now, if this sounds like a book you'd dig, I'd definitely suggest tracking down issues one and two before picking up this latest issue. This title has some cross-genre appeal, so check it out.

Next, we have a highly anticipated (to me, at least) book from Marvel starring everyone's favorite Merc-with-a-Mouth, Deadpool! I know I've been pushing Deadpool books lately, but what can I say? I'm on a Deadpool kick. This new mini-series, entitled Deadpool: Suicide Kings, is written by Mike Benson (current writer of the fantastic Moon Knight series) and features pencils by Carlo Barberi.

Now, this recommendation comes with a bit of a caveat. A few Waitings ago (Issue 4, to be exact), I recommended a Deadpool book, written by Benson, called Games of Death and I mentioned how much I was looking forward to it. And that was the truth.

However, I also mentioned that "this book has the potential to be the funniest thing you read all week." Unfortunately, that wasn't the truth. See, while I thought the issue was okay, I certainly didn't fall in love with it, and I actually didn't find it very funny. The story was fine and the art was interesting, but overall, I would not pick it up for a second read.

That said, I am a big fan of Benson's, and I have a lot of faith in this new Deadpool book. Call it Blind, but I just do.

Have faith, that is.

So, I'm gonna buy it today, and I have a feeling I'll be buying the rest of the series, as well. Because, like I said, Benson is gold. And I've seen previews of Barberi's art, and it looks great.

Anyway, here's Marvel's solicitation information (that sounds like a heavy metal band) for this week's Suicide Kings:

“SUICIDE KINGS,” PART 1: DEALER’S CHOICE” Deadpool’s latest job has gotten him into a world of trouble. Everyone wants a piece of him--and for a crime he didn’t commit! That’s right: Someone’s framed Deadpool, and it just might be the same guy who hired him in the first place, a guy who just might be using the mouthy merc as a wild card in a twisted wager.

If Wade’s going to clear his name and serve up some revenge, he’s first got to avoid getting captured--or killed--by some of the Marvel Universe’s heaviest hitters: Daredevil, the Punisher and Spider-Man.

And here's the cover:

Next up is a little indie series that I love. It's written and drawn by the great Terry Moore (of Strangers in Paradise fame) and it's called Echo. Good timing for an issue to ship, as Mr. Moore was just nominated for a prestigious Eisner Award, for Best New Series!

Issue 11 comes out today, and I'll certainly be plunking down my hard earned pay for this one. I look forward to each issue of this book, and I am always amazed at how much Moore is able to get across on the page with minimal text. His line is clean and seemingly simplistic, with lots of white space on every page.

But, boy, do those pages say a lot.

Moore's work is great, and Echo is no exception. It's one of the best books on the market today, and I can't recommend it highly enough. If this series has flown under your radar, and you'd like to check it out, issues one through five are collected in trade, titled "Moon Lake." Here's the solicitation for the trade, which gives a concise description of the series:

Julie Martin is in the wrong place at the wrong time when she finds herself under a strange explosion in the desert sky. The resulting fallout covers her in a mysterious silver metal that brings her more trouble than she can ever imagine, and a friend to die for.

This week's issue 11 continues the mystery surrounding Julie, and the action is clearly about to pick up. Here's the cover:

So, do yourself a favor, give this book a shot, buy the trade, love it, then buy all the issues!

Finally, we have another Marvel book, called Wolverine: Weapon X. This one's on my list for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, Jason Aaron is the writer. He's Mr. Hard Boiled, and he is the perfect Wolverine writer. Aaron's Vertigo series, Scalped, is one of the grittiest books being written today, and his past run on Wolverine proved that this is a perfect marriage of creator and character.

Here's the Marvel blurb for issue one:

“THE ADAMANTIUM MEN” Part 1 (of 5)In the jungles of Colombia, people are turning up dead, whole villages brutally slaughtered by a team of soldiers who move through the shadows like ghosts. On the streets of San Francisco, Logan learns that the files from the old Weapon X program, the blueprints for building Adamantium-laced super soldiers like himself, have fallen into the hands of the evil corporation, Roxxon.

Once again, it seems, someone is looking to build the perfect killing machine. That means it's time for Wolverine to step in, and remind them that someone already did.

Now, the second reason I'll be picking this book up rhymes with Ron Garney. Okay, well, the reason...is...Ron Garney.

Garney's the artist on this book, you see, and his stuff rocks. He's drawn every major character out there, and his Wolverine is a personal favorite. PLUS, in a couple of weeks, Garney will be appearing at the very LCS haunted by Yours Truly (check the details here, and swing by if you're in the area!), so I need something for him to sign!

Now, this issue ships with, like four covers (apparently it's "Wolverine Art Appreciation Month" at Marvel, so it looks like every single book they publish will have some sort of Wolvie variant, even if it makes no sense), and I have a feeling it's going to sell out.

Here's one of the covers:

And that's it for this week. So...what are you Waiting for?

[EDIT: Added Wednesday, 2:20 PM--So, it looks like that cover for Echo, issue 11 is actually the cover for issue 10. I can't find the cover for 11 online, but I just bought the book, and that cover above is not it. To avoid any confusion, simply ask your retailer for the latest issue. Sorry 'bout that!]