Waiting for Wednesday, Volume 3, Issue 16

Another week, another Waiting for. Welcome to this year's 16th edition of WFW, the Internet's least-read weekly feature on new comic titles! That's okay, though, because if I wasn't yelling about comics here on the blog, I'd be doing so on a street corner.

Which, I'm told, makes one look crazy.

So I'll keep my crazy to the Internet, and, in a minute, I'll run down the list of new books that I'm looking forward to checking out today from my local comics shop.

But first, an admission.

I haven't watched MTV since, oh, say, 1999, but Monday I happened to pass by the channel, and I caught a glimpse of a guy getting punched in the groin by the hidden, mechanical arm of an ATM machine.
The show, I'd find out at the commercial break, is called Silent Library. And, despite my utter despise of what MTV has become...I think I love this idiotic series.

Yes, I'd much prefer it if MTV actually played music (you know, by real bands, and not "singers" who use synthesizers and voice adjusters, whatever that is). But, if MTV has to still exist, I'd much rather watch some guy get punched in the groin than, say, The Jersey Shore.

Though, I guess the two are similar in theme.

Anyway, figured I'd mention the show here, first because it is a truly weird thing to turn on MTV after a decade-plus of avoiding it like the plague. And second, because it's been a long week, and watching a guy get punched made me laugh.

Right. So. On to the books, then. Well, book, actually.

From Dark Horse, today marks the return of a much-loved anthology series! Dark Horse Presents relaunches with a new number one and with all-new stories from some of comics' greatest creators.
Included in the 80-page first issue are Frank Miller, Harlan Ellison, Howard Chaykin, Neal Adams, Richard Corben, Carla Speed McNeil, Michael T. Gilbert, Randy Stradley, Paul Chadwick, David Chelsea, and Patrick Alexander.

Now that's a lineup!

I'm a sucker for anthologies, and Dark Horse Presents is another example of a book that I completely missed because I wasn't yet into comics when the original series came out. I've since gone back and bought individual issues from that first volume, and what I've found are high quality stories by some of my favorite comics people.

Presents, or DHP for short, is the anthology that gave us Frank Miller's Sin City, and Paul Chadwick's Concrete. DHP also launched Buffy and Aliens in comics, and introduced the first mainstream Goon story by Eric Powell.

For this new iteration, expectations are high. Issues in this new volume will carry a price point of $7.99, but you get a lot for the money.
Issue one ships with two covers, both of which I've included here. Check out the solicitation information from Dark Horse:

The legendary, premiere anthology is back! The 80-page spectacular, Dark Horse Presents returns with all-new stories by Neal Adams, Howard Chaykin, and Richard Corben; a new Concrete story by Paul Chadwick, a new Crimson Empire story from the Star Wars universe, and an exclusive sneak peek of Frank Miller’s highly-anticipated prequel to 300, Xerxes!

The celebration continues with a brand-new, all-color Finder story by Carla Speed McNeil, a prose piece from science fiction legend Harlan Ellison, the return of Michael T. Gilbert’s Mr. Monster, and much, much more!

* 80 pages of original content with no ads.

So much good stuff here, that it's really a no-brainer for me. I even pre-ordered the book, thinking that the (relatively) high price tag might scare off some retailers.

Check it out--there's bound to be something that you're going to like. And with that, I must say so long. But before I go, what are you Waiting for?