Waitng for THURSday, Volume 2, Issue 27

It's another one of those pesky Thursday-shipping weeks due to the holiday on Monday, so no new comics today. Which, while on the surface might seem tragic, isn't all that bad, really.

Thursday will get here soon enough, and with it brings an absolutely massive week of new product from the publishers.

Last week, I bought four books. In total. This week...whole 'nuther story, man. Whole 'nuther story. Lots of stuff coming tomorrow--plenty of big single issues as well as numerous trades.

I hate when they do this kind of thing, to be honest. Small week followed by overwhelmingly expensive week. Because of it, I'll likely be cutting back on what I had originally intended to buy, just because it would have meant spending a ridiculous amount of money.

Ah, well. Such are the slings and arrows of comics collecting, I guess.

Speaking of collecting, as I've mentioned many times here, I am very much into collecting original pieces of comics art. Well, this past weekend I was lucky enough to get on the commission list of an artist I have admired for some time now.

His name's David Hitchcock, and you can check out his Comic Art Fans gallery right here. David is one of the very few modern artists who excel at gothic renderings, and he brings these sensibilities to his own comics work.

I've wanted a piece by Dave for quite a while, and, apparently, my timing was perfect. Not only did I get on the list, but Dave had a break in his schedule and was able to tackle my commission this weekend!

While I haven't yet received the art in the mail, here's the scan Dave sent along this morning. What do ya think?
Oh, and bonus points to whoever gets the reference of the name on the grave. Anyway, I'm really excited about the piece, and when it does arrive, it'll promptly be framed and placed over my desk at home. Thanks again, Dave!

And with that, let's get to this week's comics.

Like I said, lots and lots of stuff coming out tomorrow, and since we're on the subject, let's start with Batman. Back in the late 60s, the Batman franchise was rejuvenated at DC, thanks to the legendary creative team of writer Denny O'Neil and artist Neal Adams.

Their dark, serious take on Batman was revolutionary, and has since been the template for almost every Batman story told since.

I mention all this because this week sees the release of Batman: The Odyssey, issue one, which marks Neal Adams' return to comic book interiors. Which is kind of a big deal. Adams will be writing and illustrating this six-part story featuring the character he is most associated with.
There were rumors of Adams' return to full pencils ever since he started churning out wonderful variant covers for DC a few years back, and Odyssey is--to say the least--a highly anticipated book.

Here's the solicit information from the publisher:

Legendary Batman artist and comics pioneer Neal Adams returns to Gotham City with the first issue of two 6-part miniseries!

In this electrifying new story, The Dark Knight faces a series of seemingly unrelated challenges as villains and allies old and new push him to his limits like never before.

After Batman discovers a dark and mysterious matrix being superimposed over his life, what sort of life-changing voyage must he embark on to escape from this powerful and insidious force? Be here to find out as Adams writes and illustrates his next masterpiece Batman tale!

Even though Adams and O'Neil were on Batman long before I was born, I own all of those stories in beautifully bound hardcovers, and they are certainly near and dear to this Bat fan's heart.

And the chance to buy a new Neal Adams Batman comic book on the say it comes out? That's just too cool. It's the comics equivalent of being able to buy a new Beatles record.

So, yeah, I'll be buying issue one tomorrow, though I have a feeling this will be a book that's gonna read much better in trade. Be sure to check it out--and to call ahead if you want one, because they're going to sell fast, as Adams will bring in fans new and old.

Next up, we have (in my opinion, anyway) the most exciting new release from Brian Bendis since he left Daredevil. Teaming with frequent collaborator Alex Maleev, Bendis is set to launch his latest creator-owned property, Scarlet, through Marvel's Icon line.
This is going to be one of those books with pretty low initial orders (mostly because of the fact that there are no capes), and I think it's going to be a big, big hit.

Like, Ed Brubaker's Incognito big.

Retailers will all get copies of the book, just because it's Bendis, but they certainly won't order in Avengers-type numbers. Which is a sad commentary on the industry, but that's another post entirely.

Bendis has played this new series pretty close to the chest until recently, and what I've heard about the series has me intrigued. Here's the blurb from marvel/Icon:

THE STORY: THE AWARD WINNING, BEST SELLING, POWERHOUSE CREATIVE TEAM BEHIND DAREDEVIL, HALO, AND THE AVENGERS UNLEASH THIR BOLDEST PROJECT YET! SCARLET! This is the comic experience of the year!

The first creator owned series by one of the most successful teams in all of modern comics. Scarlet is the story of a woman pushed to the edge by all that is wrong with the world...A woman who decides to stand up and fight back...A woman who will not back down...A woman who discovers within herself the power to start a modern American revolution!!

In the vein of Alias, Powers, and Jinx, Scarlet debuts a fascinating new comics character that, with every issue, reveals new things about herself against a completely original backdrop of intrigue and drama.

Get in on the ground floor of the first creator owned series by Bendis since Powers, and the first creator owned series by Maleev...ever. (and, yes, the trademark obnoxious Bendis letter column will be here too) 40 PGS./Mature...$3.95

Like I said--intriguing. I'll happily pick this up, and I hope that it meets my lofty expectations. I think it will.

That's all I've got time to go into today, but I wanted to mention a couple of books quickly before I go. DC releases their deluxe hardcover collection of Geoff Johns' Green lantern epic, Blackest Night this week, along with hardcovers for both the Green Lantern title and the Green Lantern Corps title.
So if you missed out on the single issues, here's your chance to get caught up with one of the better events of the past decade.

There's also Hellboy: The Storm, issue one, from Mike Mignola and Dark Horse. I've been yelling and screaming about Hellboy for a year and a half now, and each story just gets better and better. Mignola is still at the top of his game, and his Hellboy tales of the past three years have been epic and rewarding for longtime readers.

And, finally, one of my favorite series, House of Mystery, gets its fourth trade collection, and that ships tomorrow, as well.
Entitled "The Beauty of Decay," this story arc also features the excellent (excellent!!) House of Mystery Halloween Special from last year. Which was excellent, in case you missed it.

And that's officially all I've got for this week. Remember--no new books today, but hop on 'em tomorrow! Oh, and...what are you Waiting for?