Waiting for Wednesday, Volume 2, Issue 39

Today's Waiting for is going to be on the short side, mostly because it's 10:30 on Wednesday morning, and I have very little to write about. So, to start things off, here's a smattering of random, general thoughts that have been bouncing around in my head lately.

--Advances in technology and print books. Those two things seemingly have no business in the same (semi-) sentence, and yet, if the two don’t find a way to mesh in some logical methodology, the latter will almost certainly be in (more) trouble in the coming years.

And in the marriage of the two media lies the salvation of print--and, in my opinion, not in a complete switch to digital.

How's that for generalities??

--DC's big move to the West. Film headquarters for DC Entertainment out in L.A. makes sense, folding the Wildstorm imprint is a real shame, and cutting jobs is a flat-out crime. I feel sorry for those that won't be able to relocate (you know, because they have families and such), and I hate that another publisher is taking steps to downsize its workforce.

--New York Comic Con 2010 is fast approaching, and the list of guests, panels, and retailers has been made final. This one's looking to be the biggest yet, and I think it'll be set in stone as the sister show to San Diego.

I'm very excited for this show, as it'll be my last con until (hopefully) Baltimore next summer. Check out the NYCC website for details.

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Just one recommendation for today, and in the spirit of the smaller press, it's from Top Cow, a company that has got my attention with a string of excellent titles.
And today sees the release of issue two of the big, honking Top Cow Universe event book, Artifacts, written by Ron Marz.

This book meshes characters from all of Top Cow's books, but does so in an introductory way that is easy to follow for the new reader. I'd stopped reading Top Cow books for several years, but Artifacts, issue one, hooked me right back in.

Here's the blurb for this week's book:

"The Event FIVE Years in the Making! Thirteen mystical Artifacts will guide the fate of the world. Thirteen Artifacts will destroy the world. A mysterious being has taken Hope, the daughter of Sara Pezzini, the Witchblade bearer, and Jackie Estacado, the Darkness bearer; but his intent remains in shadow.

As the two frantic parents search for their missing child, other players including Dani Baptiste, the Angelus bearer, Tom Judge, Magdalena and others are brought onto the board.

From Top Cow Universe architect Ron Marz (Witchblade, Angelus) and Top Cow superstar artist Michael Broussard (The Darkness) comes an event series, which will literally shake the Top Cow Universe to its foundation.

Each issue will also feature a Top Cow Origin backup written by Marz and drawn by a superstar collection of artists."

Sounds like a lot is going on, but the book is written with new readers in mind, and the "Origin" back-ups help fill in any gaps. I'm big on this book for several reasons--the writing and art are top notch, and the story's pacing is perfect--but the biggest reason is that it's an "event" that is strictly limited to one book.

Sure, it's 12 issues long, but you don't have to follow anything else--at all--to enjoy the book fully. And in today's comics landscape, that's truly unique, and it's a much-needed breath of fresh air.

On that note, I'm out. Sorry for the short post today--I promise I'll make it up next week. For now, though, what are you Waiting for?