Waiting for Wednesday, Issue 39

It's a yearly tradition--that day before Thanksgiving gathering at the comics shop. Typically, the store's always a bit more crowded than usual, as many are taking half days from work, or just simply trying to fit in a stop to grab their books while running around buying all the other necessities that are...um...necessary for this week.

Like the last new comics day before Christmas, today is filled with well-wishes from friends linked together by their weekly ritual. And there are usually one or two comics with Thanksgiving-themed covers that ship today.

And, more often than not, the cover artist takes a cue from Norman Rockwell, and rearranges things around the Thanksgiving table to include Superman and Batman and Solomon Grundy.

But, while tomorrow might be about eating as much as is humanly possible, today remains, just like very Wednesday, about comics.

This week, I can honestly say that there are two new books that I'm looking forward to, and they're both from Dark Horse and they both involve Eric Powell.

Looking through this week's (massive) list of new comics from all the publishers, I came to the realization that, if all goes awry and I come to the conclusion that I just don't want to be involved with comics as a fan anymore, I will still pick up and read Powell's The Goon, and pretty much anything else he does.

I'll always be a fan of this title, and it's a book that will always draw me into the comics shop. Maybe it's because I've been reading the title ever since I started reading comics, and I feel like I was an early Goon fan and now people seem to really be getting into the book.

Maybe it's because the subject matter is right up my alley, and the art is some of the best and most unique in all of comics today. All good reasons, though, right? So, yeah, I'll keep reading The Goon, no matter what, until Powell decides to end the title. And I'll be the first in line (with Nathaniel, of course) at the movie theater when the film version makes its debut.

So to say that I'm happy to be able to walk into a comics shop and purchase a new issue of Powell's book is an understatement. This week sees the long-awaited release of The Goon, issue 33, and it is part of Dark Horse's "One Shot Wonders" program, where all of their major titles ship one-and-done stories that can be enjoyed by readers with absolutely no previous knowledge of the characters involved.

And Goon 33 is a bit different than your typical Goon story. Powell has decided to make this a wordless issue, and in lieu of captions and dialogue, Powell uses illustrated thought bubbles to progress the story.

From the description provided by Dark Horse, it's clear that readers can expect a mad-cap, crazy as all get out story where anything is possible.

Here's the blurb:

The Goon goes to the dentist and finds out that the receptionist has been replaced by a sentient manatee! And the Goon hates manatees! So he punches it! The dentist doesn't like that so he kicks Goon out. Leaving him with the dilemma of how to eat candy apples with a sore tooth. Then aliens show up.

Not actual synopsis. (But that is the actual cover, so who the $@#%* knows?)

"If this is your first time [reading The Goon], you are in for a treat -- if not, you already know how lucky you are." -David Fincher, Filmmaker (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Fight Club)

Like I said, mad-cap. And here's the...uh...cover that the blurb hints at.

It's been eight months since the last issue came out, and with a more regular, bi-monthly schedule promised for next year, this week's as good as any other to jump on this book if you haven't already. It's (obviously) going to be a crazy issue, so I'm sure you'll get to experience the avante garde hilarity that Powell is known for.

One thing's for sure--it'll be unlike any other comic you're going to read this week. Check it out!

The other book I'm excited about is Creepy, issue two, featuring a (disturbing) Eric Powell cover. I read issue one of this anthology-style, old school comics horror series when it shipped several months back, and I enjoyed it. There was nothing groundbreaking there, but it was a nice return to form for horror anthologies in comics.

Here's the blurb from Dark Horse:

It’s alive! It’s evil! And it’s coming for you. Horror fans and art fiends, beware -- a new issue of new Creepy is lurking right around the corner. Dark Horse Comics and New Comic Company keep the hellfires burning in October with another evil-engorged 48 pages of short horror stories by established greats and ook-inducing newcomers. This issue, we’re featuring the second mind-bendingly gruesome chapter of “The Curse;” a ghastly shocker from legendary horror writer Joe R. Lansdale; an all-new Loathsome Lore; new work from Jason Shawn Alexander, Dan Braun, and Greg Ruth and much, much gore! Creepy is not only packed with paralyzing tales of fear, it’s a jaw-dropping value, too. With 48 pages packed with content, not advertising, our boo buffet is one hell of a deal!

The price tag is a bit high at $4.99, so I'd recommend flipping through the book in the store to see if it's something you'd be into, and wouldn't mind dropping five dollars on. If you're considering waiting on the trade, be warned that the title ships every four months, so it could be a long wait before the book is actually collected.

Still, for fans of old school horror/morality tales, I'd say to give this a shot and see if you dig it.

Now, in addition to Dark Horse's solid output this week, there's a whole bunch of new product shipping today, including some key DC and Marvel titles that are worth mentioning. It's a busy day for comics shops, so the publishers pull out all the stops.

From DC, issue five of Geoff Johns' epic Green Lantern story, Blackest Night, ships along with issue 48 of the regular GL title. For DC fans, this is must-read stuff, and I'm sure those who have been following along already have this book marked on their to-buy list.

And from Marvel comes Brian Michael Bendis' and Mike Avon Oeming's Powers, volume three, issue one.
Powers mixes great crime/cop drama with classic super hero storytelling, and Bendis and Oeming have created one of the best universes in all of comics. If you've never read the series, this relaunch seems like the best possible place to start.

Some good stuff coming our way this week, but remember what I mentioned at the top about the stores being more crowded than usual today. If tradition holds at my LCS, there will barely be room enough to walk around the store.

If you can't make it to your shop until later on in the afternoon or evening, be sure to give your retailer a call and ask him/her to hold books for you, just in case. Especially the big sellers, like Blackest Night and Powers, as they tend to vanish rather quickly from the shelves.

Well, that's it for me today. What are you Waiting for?