Just a head's up before we get started, though. Now, I've heard from a couple of people that shipping might be delayed to some stores on the East Coast, due to a (rather large) storm this past Monday.
From what I've been able to find online, though, it looks like most shops on the East Coast should have new books today. And, if not today, definitely tomorrow (Thursday). I'd suggest giving your shop a call before you head out, just in case.
With that out of the way, I wanted to follow up on yesterday's post about webcomics by saying thank you for all of your suggestions, both here on the blog and on our Twitter page (yes, it's still there; no, I haven't completely bailed on it yet).
I'm having a blast checking out all of the comics that have been sent our way, and please, keep sending them! If you've noticed (of course you've noticed), we've increased our readership over the last couple of months, and I'm making it a personal mission to really, honestly, try getting the word out about smaller press books and webcomics.
You know, creator-owned stuff.
Because, as I've said many times, that's where the true heart and soul of the comics industry lies.
Speaking of which, let's get into this week's new comics. First up, from 12-Gauge, is issue three of one of my favorite new series of the year, Magus, written by Jon Price and with art by Rebekah Issacs.
The high concept here is that Magus is the story of the return of magic to the real world. Issues one and two did a good job of setting up the world and introducing the characters, and the dialogue especially was spot-on.The story has been well-paced, and while issue one kept things close to the chest and mysterious, issue two featured some very cool reveals, and it looks like this week's issue three will feature more of the same.
Here's the solicitation information from 12-Gauge:
Magic is coming back to our world. The Seal keeping it from all of humanity is crumbling and its keepers frantically race to stop it. With magic slowly creeping across the globe, chaos is looming on the horizon. And, just as things seemed to be settling down for Ben and Darius, they must face-off with a dangerous - and hungry - magical creature!
Shops in my area woefully under ordered issue one, but after some positive word of mouth, one shop at least stocked a decent number of issue two. And, I've been told, they bumpred that order up for issue three. Which means people are reading, and liking, the book.
And that's a Very Good Thing.
Next up, we have a trade paperback release from Image Comics. Skullkickers, volume one, ships today, and as Image has done recently, this first trade will be available for the perfect price of $9.99.
I know I've been a broken record on this point, but I think Image has really done an amazing job with their books over the past year-plus. They've cranked out some amazing creator-owned titles, and the books have fallen into a wide range of genres.Skullkickers is one of those titles that has some cross-entertainment appeal, as I mentioned in a Waiting for several months back. I think it'll really hit home with fans of video games and/or fantasy fans.
Plus, the art is great. Here's the solicitation information on the first trade:
Two nameless mercenaries are mashing monsters and making a name for themselves. Image’s new hit fantasy action-comedy series has gone through multiple printings of each issue released so far and is getting rave reviews from readers and critics alike. Pick up the first collection, and find out what all the excitement is all about!
For under $10 bucks, you really can't go wrong here. Pick it up, flip through it. You might just dig it.
And, finally today, we have a book from Marvel. Except, it's really from the now-defunct CrossGen, a much-loved publisher of the halcyon days of the early 2000s.
Sigil, issue one, launches the CrossGen line at Marvel, and I'm excited to jump on board. I missed the CrossGen boat the first time around, and had to settle for (spotty) trade releases in recent years.I liked what I read, though, and the art in the books was especially impressive. And I'm happy to see the line get new life at Marvel.
Sigil is one of the titles that I completely missed, so I'm jumping on with absolutely no prior knowledge of the series or its characters. But it's written by Mike Carey, and the art's by Leonard Kirk, two creators whose work I've followed, and consistently enjoyed, over the years.
Here's the blurb from Marvel:
In the war for forever, time is only an obstacle. Warriors jump from century to century, their battlefields span all of history but have led them to a stalemate. But now a 16 year old girl from present-day South Carolina will turn the tide.
The symbol on her chest makes her part of this war, but will she save us or damn all of creation? New York Times best-selling scribe Mike Carey (Age of X, The Unwritten) and Leonard Kirk (New Mutants) begin the next great comic epic.
I will happily buy this book today, and hopefully I'll have a new series to follow.
But before I can do any of that, I need to get back to work. Books, apparently, do not edit themselves (which might be why publishing is so wonky these days), and I need to turn my attention elsewhere.
Before I head out, though, what are you Waiting for?
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