Waiting for Wednesday, Issue 17

Holy cow. This is the first writing that I've done since last week. Which means that I've broken my own rule of "write something every single day" and that's not something I'm real happy with. But, I have a nice, looming deadline at work, and I spent this weekend...well...working in the office, chipping away at said deadline.

To make matters way better, I was supposed to have had this past Monday and Tuesday off, but that changed real quick last week, when a pile of ominous-looking papers and things was tossed in my lap.

And so, angry, tired, and a little gassy, I make my triumphant return to the blogosphere today, with Issue 17 of Waiting for Wednesday.

Looking over Diamond's shipping list for this week, it's apparent that there's a ton of new product coming our way. So at least there will be a crazy amount of comics-goodness that I can look forward to not being able to read...

Anyway, on to the list o' things I want to buy:

First up we have the book that everyone is talking about. You've probably seen the news articles and the spots on local TV stations that this week marks the return of a much-beloved character. And we here at Exfanding hope to stoke the flames of speculation and add to the Mighty Marvel Hype Machine!

That's right, today--well, okay, Monday if you wanna get all technical, seeing as how Marvel started shipping the books Monday--sees the Return of Captain America. Or Steve Rogers. Or both. Or, possibly, neither.

We'll see.

What we do know is that Ed Brubaker is writing a classic run on Cap, even if the titular (*giggle*) character hasn't been...well...in the book, or even alive, for the past couple of years.

So this week's Captain America, issue 600 (yep, the title returns to its original numbering) is going to be one of those Sell Out by Mid-Afternoon on a Wednesday Books. If you're interested in grabbing a copy, it might be a good idea to call ahead and be sure your LCS can set one aside for you. Anyway, here's the blurb from Marvel:

Where were you when Captain America died? It's the anniversary of the day Steve Rogers was killed, a day of reflection and mourning in the Marvel U...a time to look back on the things Steve did and what he stood for...or is this issue actually the beginning of the most wicked plot twist since issue 25?

Yeah, actually it's both.

Plus, contributions from Cap creators past and present, including a very special essay by Joe Simon, a classic story from Cap’s Golden Age, a full gallery of 600 Cap covers, and more anniversary shenanigans than you can shake a shield at! New and Reprints/Rated T …$4.99

And here's the Alex Ross cover (there will be a variant, I'm sure...):

Hype Machine aside, this is in all likelihood going to be a solid read, so give it a shot, even if you haven't been reading Brubaker's stellar run on the title.

Next up we have another (fantastic) Ed Brubaker book, Incognito, issue 4. I've talked about this series in the past, and it's one that I am truly enjoying. Brubaker's noir is hardcore noir, and the books read at a lightning pace.

Sean Phillips' art is perfectly suited for this type of story telling, and really, this is one of those series that we'll still be talking about, years down the line. Here's Marvel's info:

THE MOST TWISTED SUPER-VILLAIN TALE OF ALL TIME TAKES A SHARP RIGHT TURN...AS THE HEROES FINALLY ARRIVE!

Zack's masked mayhem hasn't gone unnoticed by the authorities or the bad guys he's been in hiding from. Now, Zoey Zeppelin, granddaughter of the legendary Professor Zeppelin is here to find out just which side he's on--even if she has to kill him to be sure.

As we all know, BIG CAPITAL LETTERS in a solicit can only mean that the book is REALLY GOOD AND YOU SHOULD BUY IT. In the case of Incognito, though, that old paradigm is true. Here's this week's cover:

And, finally, we have a book that's just far enough off the beaten path to fly under many readers' radars. From Wildstorm, Jeff Parker's Mysterius The Unfathomable, issue 6 hits shelves today and wraps the first mini-series of this new and wonderful (and wicked) character. While this title is housed under DC's Wildstorm imprint, it reads, looks, and feels like a Vertigo book.

That is, a mature readers title that delves deeply into the occult.

Why it's at Wildstorm and not at Vertigo, I really don't know. In any case, here's the info from Wildstorm:

While dying in the desert heat, what's the perfect way to conclude this gathering of free spirits? A massive orgy followed by a mass sacrifice! What do Mysterius and Delfi do in the face of something like this? And are they even talking to each other? Assume a meditation pose, clear your mind and connect to the unfathomable end of the beginning.

And here's the cover:
As mentioned, this is the last issue of the mini, so it would make the most sense for new readers to wait the month or so for the trade. If you like books such as Fables, or House of Mystery, I think Mysterius will be right up your alley.

And that's what I'm most looking forward to. How 'bout you--what are you Waiting for?