It seems like the days are blurring by (how are we already in February...wasn't it just Christmas?), and Mondays are starting to look like Tuesdays and Wednesdays just kind of happen and pass me by.
I haven't been to my local shop in three weeks now, mostly because we've had snow storms here on two of those past three Wednesdays, and I was working way too late on the third Wednesday to even consider making the trip before closing time.
So, yeah, I'm a bit anxious to get to the shop today.
I've made a promise to myself that I'm going to leave the office with enough time to get to the store, and to even have a little while to look around and make sure I'm not missing anything.
Hopefully, I won't break that promise.
Though, something tells me I might. Break that promise, I mean. It's probably the stack(s) of things on my desk that need to be edited that are just staring back at me right now.
But I'll get to that in a little bit. For now, let's talk comics, yes? Yes. Now, since I've talked a lot about mainstream books this week and last, I want to focus on two amazing indie titles for today.
One is pretty well known within comics circles, and the other is one of the very best under-the-radar books out there today.
First up, we have issue one of the new Hack/Slash ongoing series, written by the great Tim Seeley. For those unfamiliar with the book, the basic premise is that Cassie Hack, along with her bruiser of a sidekick, Vlad, hunt down and kill "slasher" killers.
You know, slashers, like the Jasons and Michael Myers of the world.
Now, admittedly, I came late--and a little bit reluctantly--to this title, mostly because of the T & A nature of its covers and its heroine. Although that old axiom is usually true about covers, I remember comics in the 90s. And, usually, the covers gave a pretty good indication of what was within the pages.
But then, finally, after hearing a relentless stream of positive reviews (things like, "How the heck are you not reading this book?" and "It's the horror fan's horror title" and "Read it, dummy"), I decided to give the first omnibus trade a try, and I really enjoyed it.Some of the earlier stuff is rough around the edges, but as I moved from omnibus to omnibus (volume three just came out a couple of months ago), I found myself unable to put the books down.
Just last month, Seeley released a one-shot origin tale, entitled, "Me Without You," which is an early contender for issue of the year. There was also a four-issue mini-series called "My First Maniac," which ships in trade this month.
Anyway, being that today's issue one is going to be the big launch for this title at its new Image Comics home, you can bet it will be new reader friendly. Here's the solicitation from Image:
HACK/SLASH returns in all-new ongoing series by the creative team behind the hit HACK/SLASH: MY FIRST MANIAC mini!
Cassie Hack, killer of killers, and her partner Vlad hunt a slasher who haunts a small town's Make Out Point. Meanwhile, Cat Curio, Former Teen Detective, searches for the man who put her in a coma and the murderous cult that employed him. What she finds will set up the biggest HACK/SLASH story yet. A great jumping on point for new readers!
RETAILER WARNING: MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES
They're not kidding about that retailer warning, as this series features plenty of violence, nudity, and cursing. You know, like those wonderfully watchable slasher flicks. Only, Hack/Slash has an actual story, and well-developed characters.
Horror fans, take note. This book is good. Oh, also, the series was picked up and will soon be a major motion picture. From one account I read, we might even see Hack/Slash on the big screen by 2012.
Next up, we have Magus, issue 2, from indie publisher 12-Gauge Comics.
Written by Jon Price and with art by Rebekah Isaacs, this is one of those gems that doesn't get a ton of press, but is certainly deserving of fans' attention. Unfortunately for Magus, there are no capes flying around and no cross-overs from which to benefit.Instead, what we get is a good story. And fantastic art.
Here's the blurb from the publisher:
Thousands of years ago, magic was stripped from nearly all humankind and sealed away by the choices of a few. Forgotten and believed to be myth by the majority of the world, magic is about to be unleashed on everyone, as the Seal is close to breaking. Now dangerous alliances are forming and deadly plans are being set into motion - all to ensure one man is left standing when the dust from the chaos settles.
The series likely won't be at your local shop--if they ordered it, they probably did so in small numbers--so you're going to have to search online for the issues. But please do. It's books like this that make comics what they are, and it's books like this that will ensure the future of the medium.
[EDIT: Actually, I just checked Rebekah Isaacs' Twitter, and apparently issue one is up, FOR FREE, at Graphicly.]
So go, buy, and have fun out there. But before you do, what are you Waiting for?
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