Waiting for Wednes--Er, Thursday, Volume 2, Issue 22

Riddle me this, Exfanders.

What’s the use of a Waiting for Wednesday when there are no new comic books coming out on Wednesday? Well, you’re all about to find out, as this is one of those pesky “skip” days in our humble little hobby.

Because of the Memorial Day holiday on Monday, new books won’t ship from Diamond’s warehouse to US comics shops until tomorrow, making today just another day of the week.

Which is cool because I always kinda like Thursday-shipping weeks. By the time you get to the store on Thursday (evening, in my case), the week’s all but done. Plus, you have comics.

Not much to complain about, there.

And, since I was really busy all weekend long, it’ll be nice to have an extra day to try and catch up on a couple of titles before their latest issues ship tomorrow. I almost certainly won’t have time to catch up, of course, on any of them, but it’s always nice knowing that there’s a chance of it happening.

Speaking of holidays, since Monday was a day off, the work is piling up quickly at the old office and deadlines loom. In theory, a short week sounds like a whole lot of fun. In practice?

Not so much.

Still, there’s always time for comics, and this week’s list--while not overbearingly ginormous as the past few weeks have been--is still pretty sizable. As I mentioned, I’m still too far behind on my comics to be able to sit down with many of the newer books from Marvel and DC (pesky continuity), but that won’t stop me from reading an indy title (or 10) this coming weekend.

I've been loving recent, under the radar and/or smaller press books lately, and there are a couple more coming out today that I think are must reads.

Leading the way in that category is a book from Vertigo that debuted with a number one issue last month. I, Zombie, issue two, hits stands today, and after reading issue one, I'm gonna scream about this series for a while, if you don't mind.
Written by Chris Roberson and with art by the great Mike Allred, this new series has just the right amounts of hip, weird, and scary to be right up my alley.

The writing is crisp and the dialogue is fun and funny, the plot is witty and moves along quickly, and Allred's art, as usual, is perfect.

Here's the solicitation information for issue two:

Zombies! Ghosts! Vampires! Mummies! Were-terriers! (Were-terriers?) Monster hunters! Tech support! (Tech support?!) All this and more in the sophomore issue of iZOMBIE! Writer Chris Roberson (CINDERELLA: FROM FABLETOWN WITH LOVE) and artist Michael Allred (X-Statix, Madman) continue exploring the world of Gwen Dylan, zombie detective.

Do yourself a favor--if you missed issue one, go back and find it at your shop or online. Because it's a Vertigo launch, issue one is only a dollar (and keep in mind that the volume one trade, when the first arc is collected, will be $9.99) and, boy, is it worth picking up.

Check it out!

Next up, we have a true indy gem from Archaia Comics--Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard, issue one. From creator (writer and artist) David Petersen, the latest volume of the incredibly popular Mouse Guard series ships today, with a twist.
While the first two story arcs of this series are collected (in beautiful, well-priced hardcovers) and the third volume is in the works now, Legends is an anthology book featuring other creators' takes on Petersen's now-iconic mice.

Here's the solicit info for issue one:

Inside the June Alley Inn, located in the western mouse city of Barkstone, mice gather to tell tales, each trying to outdo the other.

A competition, of sorts, begins. The rules: Every story must contain one truth, one lie, and have never been told in that tavern before. Legends of the Guard is a new Mouse Guard anthology series with artists and storytellers handpicked by creator David Petersen.

I love comics like this--a framing sequence will set everything up and we'll get to see some cool interpretations of very unique characters. For fans of the series, Mouse Guard has a very distinct rhythm and feel, so it'll be interesting to see how other writers and artists tackle Petersen's characters.

Not all of the creators included in this new series have been revealed yet, but early solicitations for later issues promise the likes of Guy Davis and Craig Rousseau, so here's hoping all of the issues can boast such talent.

I'm looking forward to it, and I'm just hoping that my shop has a copy left when I get there.

Finally, we have a book from Marvel that's managed to fly under pretty much the entire comics industry's radar. Based on a previously unpublished short story by Stephen King, "N." is currently undergoing the graphic adaptation with scripts by Marc Guggenheim and art by the great Alex Maleev.
Since we're already up to issue four, I figured it might be best to go back and give you the solicitation info for issue one:

There is something unearthly and mysterious deep in Ackerman’s Field in rural Maine. There is a Stonehenge-like arrangement of seven stones with a horrifying EYE in the center.

And whatever dwells there in that strange, windswept setting may have brought about the suicide of one man...and harbor death for the OCD afflicted "N.", whose visits to the field have passed beyond compulsion into the realm of obsession.

Based on the chilling short story from the recent Stephen King collection, JUST AFTER SUNSET, this adaptation will provide nightmares aplenty. Just keep counting the stones...keep counting...counting...

Obviously, Stephen King fans should be all over this book. The horror is well-paced, smart, and truly unnerving--something that's sorely lacking in many of today's gore-fest "horror" films--mostly because many things about the book seem...familiar, somehow.
We all know (or might be) someone like N., a normally-functioning and successful person with OCD tendencies that he manages to control. But when things start to spiral out of control for him, well, that's when the horror starts.

In case you've been following the series and want some info on tomorrow's issue, here's the blurb for issue four:

As the mysterious case of N. spreads—and claims the lives of everyone who hears the story—each victim tries helplessly to rescue the next victim from their own sealed fate.

But when the odd tale of Ackerman’s field finds its way into the hands of a journalist—one with millions of readers—there is no telling how far the madness of N. might spread.

DON’T MISS A MOMENT OF THIS GRIPPING SERIES FROM MASTER THRILLER STEPHEN KING, WITH SCRIPT BY MARC GUGGENHEIM AND ART BY ALEX MALEEV!

And there you have it. A Waiting for on a non-comics Wednesday. Usually, I end these things by asking you guys what books you're waiting for. Today, I'll pose the question to myself.

And the answer is easy--Thursday.