This fact is one that has snuck up on me to an alarming extent. You see, quite a few of my deadlines at work hover around the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays, and since said holidays are nearly upon us...well, I have a lot of work to do.
To finish, I mean. I have a lot of work to finish.
Which is different than simply having a lot of work, and in many ways (read: all ways) much, much worse. Working in publishing means deadlines are a daily beast and one gets used to them breathing down one's neck after a while.
So I have no doubt that everything will get done--it always does (somehow). It's just a bit depressing to think of everything that has to happen in order for everything to get done, and to think of how quickly those things need to happen.
Going down my list for the coming weeks and months ahead is kind of like staring out at the ocean and looking for land on the other side. You'll get there (hopefully) at some point, but it's going to be a bumpy, pirate-filled ride.
Clumsy analogies aside, I think it's time to get into this week's comics. I have two today I'd like to talk about and unsurprisingly, they're both from DC. Being that we're now in the middle of November, I think it's safe to say that DC wins my vote for publisher of the year.
Their New 52 relaunch has been both a critical success and it's won the company their biggest market share in a decade as they have pulled ahead of Mighty Marvel in the Big Two Arms Race.
And with good reason.
On the whole, these books are good. Solid series with solid creative teams telling good stories. There are, of course, books that stand out from the rest--Swamp Thing and Animal Man come immediately to mind.
But the two books I'm most enjoying as part of the relaunch are Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's Batman and Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang's Wonder Woman.
These books are exceptional super hero stories, and they are a big part of DC's recent success. I've looked forward to each issue, and I will definitely be picking up the hardcovers for both series when the first arcs wrap up.
Snyder's Batman takes readers back to the Bruce Wayne as detective of days past, and a return to the character's roots is certainly refreshing. Capullo's art is perfect for the Dark Knight and his world, and I can't recommend this title enough. If you're only going to read one DC book, make Batman that book. Here's the solicitation information for today's issue three:
As Bruce digs deeper into the mystery of the recent owl murders, he soon finds himself face to face with a shocking enemy – an enemy the Wayne family has secretly been at war with for centuries. Be there for the first shots of the war for the soul of Gotham City. Friends will become deadly enemies and secrets will be revealed – revelations that will change the Bat-family forever.
If you'd like to catch up, you should be able to find copies of issues one and two in your shops (get the later printings for cover price).
Moving on, Wonder Woman, issue three, ships today as well. Wonder Woman has been a hit and miss character, with many more misses than hits unfortunately. This latest series shakes things up a bit and returns Diana to her mythical roots.
This book is on top of everyone's read pile, and for good reason. Azzarello's writing is fast-paced and thought provoking, and Chiang's take on Wonder Woman is spot on.Here's the blurb for today's issue three:
Hippolyta, the queen of the Amazons, has kept a secret from her daughter all her life – and when it's revealed, Wonder Woman's life will shatter like brittle clay. The only one more shocked than Diana by this revelation? Bloodthirsty Hera herself – so why is her sinister daughter, Strife, so eager for the truth to be told?
As with Batman, you can find later printings of issues one and two readily available to catch up on the story. And at $2.99 an issue, the price is most definitely right.
So that's what I'm reading. What about you? What are you Waiting for?
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