For me, that time has been getting later and later in the day, with my trip last week taking place all of ten minutes before the shop closed. It was me, the owner, and another raggedy-looking fanboy who rushed in just after I did, also in an effort to beat the clock.
Because, you know, the world might end had I not gotten my comics on a Wednesday.
Still, as long as you pay the man, the visit counts, and I got all the books I was looking for. Which is all that actually matters. Of course, because now I've managed to not read my new books for just about three weeks...my pile of unread comics is on its way towards being stupid once again.
Luckily, I'll have some time this weekend to chill out, sit (or lay) down, and just read. I might even head to another local comics shop that I haven't hit up in a few weeks, just because.
Just because last week I had about 15 minutes to myself. Just because my basement was flooded and smelly. Just because I had to turn down coaching a youth baseball team not ten minutes ago due to time restraints.
So, yeah.
Today? I'm buying comics. And this weekend? Yep, I'm buying comics. The question, however, is--which comics will I be buying?
And thus it will be with that seamless transition sentence that we will get started on this week's Waiting for, the Internet's shortest-running and littlest-known weekly feature about comics and comics byproducts.
This week, we have a nice combination of mainstream, indy, and kinda-mainstream titles, including two new number one issues and a discovery of a great, new artist.
First up, we have a book that I know nothing about, save for the fact that it's written by Mark Millar and drawn by Steve McNiven--the same creative team that brought the comics world sales juggernauts Civil War and Old Man Logan.
At the moment, anything Millar touches is white hot, but since this is one of Marvel's mature readers, some shops might under-order the title. Which is exactly what happened with Millar's last book, Kick-Ass, and those issues are going online for a (stupid) premium.
With the theatrical release of Kick-Ass this April, expect there to be quite a bit of attention on Millar's latest project when the movie comes out. What will that be? A book called Nemesis, issue one of which ships today.
Actually, on Marvel's site, they've titled the book Millar and McNiven's Nemesis, so you know they've put a lot of stock in the team.This four issue mini-series has had some Internet hype--though I've managed to avoid most of it--and I think it's a safe bet that stores will sell out quickly. Here's the (wonderfullly silly and hyperbolic) solicitation information from the publisher:
The Story: CIVIL WAR? Nothing. KICK-ASS? A warm up. What if the smartest, toughest costumed bad ass in the world was totally evil? Meet Nemesis. He’s systematically been destroying the lives of every police chief in Asia, and he’s now set his sights on Washington, DC.
Between you and me, the police don’t have a chance. Do not miss the book that EVERYONE will be talking about by the creative team that made CIVIL WAR the biggest book of the decade.
Now, while that solicit tells us next-to-nothing about the series, you can go in expecting a few things. First, it'll be violent. Second, there will be sophomoric humor. Third, it'll be violent. And fourth, it'll sell big.
Oh, and it'll be a good read and the art will be stunning.
Say what you will about Mark Millar, but he always delivers on these hugely-hyped projects and the impossible-to-live-up-to expectations that go along with them. And his stories are always well told, accessible, and fun.
Sure, sometimes it's big, stupid fun, but there's no denying that Millar is a great comic book writer. And that's due in large part to the fact that he's a great writer, period.
He gets pacing and characterization, and even though some will blast him for the over-the-top action and sheer unbelievability of his plots, the man knows how to write a compelling story.
So check this book out on the stands.
Next up, we have another title I know pretty much nothing about. From Dark Horse Comics, The Guild, issue one, hits stands today and looks to be a crowd-pleaser for the gaming community.
Aside from the fact that The Guild is a very popular Web series that I've never heard of, the only other thing I can tell you about the series is that, from previews I've seen online, it looks like a good read. Plus, it's published through Dark Horse, and I trust their editorial team to always put out interesting, quality product.Here's the blurb from the publisher and a preview on their site, though, so you can make up your own minds.
Internet phenomenon The Guild comes to comics, courtesy of series creator, writer, and star Felicia Day (Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog)!
Chronicling the hilarious on- and offline lives of a group of Internet role-playing gamers, the Knights of Good, The Guild has become a cult hit and is the winner of numerous awards from SXSW, YouTube, Yahoo, and the Streamys.
Now Day brings the wit and heart of the show to this three-issue miniseries. In this origin tale of the Knights of Good, we learn about Cyd's life before joining the guild, how she became Codex, and how she began to meet the other players who would eventually become her teammates.
This storyline fills in details never before revealed on the web show, making it a delightful new chapter for existing fans as well as a perfect jumping-on point for new fans!
It looks interesting, and I know there are a good number of Exfanding readers that will be into the premise. So, check it out, and check out the Web site, as well.
And finally today, we have a book that's run the gamut from excellent to, well, pretty much the opposite of excellent over the course of its 70 issues. From DC Comics, Superman/Batman was a title launched several years ago by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Ed McGuinness.
Their first arc was so successful and popular that DC Entertainment turned it into a successful and popular animated DVD that was released last fall. And, while the Loeb run had a few head-scratch-worthy moments in it, his 25 issues were memorable, fun, and breathed new life into the Supes/Bats team-up story.
That, and in the writer's second arc, he reintroduced Supergirl to the DC Universe, a move that has made the publisher a considerable amount of money in the last five years.
After Loeb left the title, however, arcs became very hit or miss, with some stories that were plain tough to read, cover to cover. But every couple of arcs, there's a great creative team, and in the current arc, a new artist has blown me away.
Ardian Syaf is the latest artist on the book (this is issue three of his run with writer Joe Casey), and his stuff is pretty amazing. To be able to draw a mythic, heroic Superman and a frightening, dark Batman in the same panel is a tremendous skill, and Syaf excels throughout the first two issues of his run. I expect more of the same with this week's issue.Instead of giving you the blurb for the book, please do yourselves a favor and check out the preview art at DC' site.
And with that, I'll leave you with this. What are you Waiting for?
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