ON THE SHELF IN MAY
by Craig Reade

DARK HORSE
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Page 40 – Criminal Macabre: Feat of Clay, $2.99. Written by Steve Niles, Art by Kule Hotz and Michelle Madsen. Cal McDonald fans will be happy to see this issue – the only bad thing being that it is only a one-shot. Feat of Clay pits Cal against a Golem. Might not be as meaty a story as some of the previous minis, but something is better than nothing. If you are a fan of supernatural horror comics, you should check this one out. 32 Pages.

Page 42 – Star Wars: Legacy #0, $.25. Written by John Ostrander, Art by Jan Duursema and Sean Cooke. Another new Star Wars series, this one set 100 years after Return of the Jedi. Seems like Dark Horse has a lot of faith in this one, and this #0 issue should get a lot of people to at least check it out. Hard top pass up a comic for a quarter, no matter what kind of comic it is, you know? Dark Horse has traditionally done very well when they release the quarter issues, thinking back to Conan especially. This one should be no different. 32 Pages.

DABEL BROTHERS PRODUCTIONS
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Page 252 – Orson Scott Card’s: Wyrms #1 (of 6), $2.95. Adapted by Jack Black, Art by Adriano Batista. Another Card novel, another potentially great comic mini. This one I have to admit sounds better than the red Prophet series, not that red Prophet isn’t good, but this one could be much more visually interesting. This is one of my favorite Card novels, but if they were to put out a Worthing Saga-type ongoing (LOTS of material there for fresh stories), I would be one happy comic reader. Another good one upcoming from Dabel. 32 Pages.

DC COMICS
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Page 67 – Superman Returns: The Movie Adaptation, $6.99. Written by Martin Pasko, Art by Matt Haley. This one is being solicited really early (Not due out until July 6th), but that is to be expected. After the stunning success of Batman Begins, especially after some very real jitters from the fans, DC is rightly anxious to get this latest Superman movie out the door. Is DC back in a movie-making groove, or will Superman Returns rank up there with Batman Forever? Well, there are no nipples on the costume, and no DayGlo in site, so there is no reason to be nervous just yet. In addition to the traditional movie adaptation, there will also be a 168 Page trade release which includes the adaptation and stories from The Amazing World of Superman #1, The Adventures of Superman #575, Superman #185, and Action Comics #810. One would guess that these issues have some bearing on the events in the movie. 72 Pages.

Page 73 – Crisis Aftermath: The Spectre #1 (of 3), $2.99. Written by Will Pfiefer, Art by Cliff Chiang. Another Crisis Aftermath mini, this time focusing on the Spectre and his new host, Crispus Allen. Personally, I am a little let down that Bruce Wayne isn’t the new Spectre. Yeah, a long shot, but boy that would have made for a good story! As awesome as Crisis and the Countdown have been, many DC readers are really looking forward to the DCU calming down a bit. There has been so much going on, and so many extra things to buy that wallets are getting light and readers are getting a little worn out. As good as these minis have been, soon is the time to start taking these stories and incorporating them into ongoing titles. 32 Pages.

Page 77- 52 #1 (of 52), $2.50. Written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid; Breakdowns by Keith Giffen; Art by Joe Bennett, Ruy Jose and Jack Jadson; Backup feature by Dan Jurgens and Art Thibert. Infinite Crisis is over, and the whole DCU has been pushed forward one year. But what happened during that year in between? That story is being told in the form of this weekly series. It seems that something happens in Infinite Crisis that leaves the world without Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman for a year. With luck, the OYL books will be a fresh start for all, but this series should provide the continuity to appease longtime readers who want to know how things went from point A to B. This is an ambitious project, but it should be a very rewarding read if DC can maintain consistency and keep the book on time. 32 Pages.

Page 86 – Secret Six #1 (of 6), $2.99. Written by Gail Simone, Art by Brad Walker and Jimmy Palmiotti. Those of you who really liked the Villains United mini will surely want to be on board for this sequel mini. The cover image is a little – artistic, but it does look like the core team from Villains United will be back for this story. This was the best presentation of Catman I’ve seen, well, ever. Hopefully this story will flow all the better without the weight of Infinite Crisis upon it. 32 Pages.

Page 87 - Shadowpact #1, $2.99. By Bill Willingham. Wow – Willingham’s doing the art too? Should be interesting to see, as most readers are only familiar with his writing, having gotten their first exposure to him on Fables. This seems like something of a risk, but it is doubtful that DC would have turned the book over to him if he didn’t have at least a minimum skill level. Still, usually I find that a creator is either a writer or an artist, and very rarely do you find one that is brilliant at both. And considering how good a storyteller he is, seeing him take on the art is a little scary. Still – can’t judge until I see it! Shadowpact is, of course, the team that came together to confront the Spectre in the Day of Vengeance Countdown mini, and it is great to see that DC is putting them in their own ongoing. Any series with Detective Chimp as a lead character is almost an automatic winner in my book. 32 Pages.

Page 96 – Cartoon Network Action Pack #1, $2.25. Written by George Krstic, Robbie Busch and various, Art by Matt Jenkins, Mark Chiarello, and various. Pretty rare that I would mention a Johnny DC title in the monthly, but this one does deserve mention. Another Cartoon Network anthology, like Block Party, but this one focusing on the action characters like Ben 10 and Samurai Jack. Nice to see that though they cancelled the Powerpuff Girls ongoing, they have still filled in that gap. 32 Pages.

Page 105 – Majestic #17, $2.99. Written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, Art by Neil George. Ah Mejestic, we barely knew ya. This will be the final issue of Majestic, as it makes way for the new Wildstorm coming in the next few months. DC did a great thing by crossing Majestic over into the DCU, and did an excellent job of drawing new readers back to Wildstorm with Majestic on his way back. Trouble is, they just kind of stopped. Like something out of the Marvel third tier, DC launched this book with a bunch of publicity, then let it go off on its own. Especially considering all the Infinite Crisis hype, is it any wonder that this book got a little lost in the shuffle? Majestic has been an outstanding book, and the fact that it isn’t worth rebooting along with the rest of Wildstorm doesn’t make me feel very good about that relaunch. DC might have lost a lot of potential Wildstorm readers here. 32 Pages.

Page 110 – Can’t Get No, $19.99. By Rick Veitch. With 9-11 as the backdrop, this graphic novel follows a businessman on a downward spiral who wakes up on September 11th, after a night of “debauchery” to find that his body is completely covered by a tattoo. This has the feel of a character story, and so naturally the solicit is a bit vague. Something to look at if you are into a more serious graphic novel, though the black and white art might be off-putting to some people. This one is also advance solicited, and should be out in June. 352 Pages.

IMAGE COMICS
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Page 136 – Emissary #1, $3.50. Written by J.R. Rand, Art by Juan E. Ferreyra. Not exactly a new idea, but one that still has a lot of ground to be explored. Exactly how would the real world react to a genuine super-powered person? It isn’t unreasonable to expect that some would worship it. Some would fear it, thinking it s demon or the anti-Christ. Small Gods fans will no doubt recognize the creative team on this book, and should pick it up for that reason alone. Rand and Ferreyra look to be working with Shadowhawk creator Jim Valentino. Cause for concern is the $3.50 cover price here – a few Image titles this month have crept up to that $3.50 mark, including Noble Causes. Unfortunately, comic readers might not be ready for a regular comic over $3. This may hurt sales, hopefully it is just an misguided experiment. 32 Pages.

Page 140 – The Last Christmas #1 (of 6), $2.99. Written by Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn, Art by Rick Remember and Hilary Barta. So what would Santa be like in a post-apocalyptic world? Would there still be a Christmas, and what would it look like? In a dark and humorous way, this series sets out to answer just that. This looks like a really funny read. 32 Pages.

Page 142 – Negative Burn #1, $5.99. By Various. A monthly anthology? Wow, haven’t seen a real one of these from one of the major publishers in a long time! Looks like Dan Jurgens, Ron Marz, Jonathan Luna, Phil Hester, and others will all be contributing stories to this title – all the reason you need to check it out. There is a severe lack of anthology books on the market today, and maybe if this one does well, we will see more. Definitely one to check out. 64 Pages.

MARVEL COMICS
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Page M10 – Ultimate Spider-Man #95, $2.99. Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Mark Bagley. The second USM of the month, this one kicking off the five issue story arc that will lead to issue 100. Though Ultimate Morbius? I don’t know, I was kind of expecting something a little more blockbuster than that. It is only the first issue, so perhaps there is more down the road. Almost have to wonder why they made an Ultimate version anyway, and just didn’t go with an all original vampire type character. 32 Pages.

Page M15 – Last Planet Standing #1 (of 5), $2.99. Written by Tom DeFalco, Art by Pat Olliffe. The plot thickens! Most of you know that Marvel announced that Spider-Girl was to be cancelled once again. This time at issue #100, which actually trimmed back from the previous “safe” number of 106. Marvel’s attitude towards this book has readers universally scratching their head. Powerful female lead? Check. Good sized loyal fanbase? Check. Appeal to the younger female reader? Check again. Connection to a big draw Marvel character? Again, it has that too. Plus, every time Marvel puts the tiniest bit of marketing push behind it, it sells really well. Now there is this – right after canceling the title, they go forward with this mini, and give it a huge push. What gives? Is this an effort to boost sales and save the title? Or is it, like the teaser suggests, the end of a universe, namely the MC2 verse? Maybe drastic measures are needed to make the character more viable. A new creative team, moving May (and J2!) to 616 – but please, don’t get rid of the character all together. There is a reason that it has hung on for 100 issues. Announcing a cancellation to boost sales will only work so many times before the readers give up. Boy who cried wolf, and all. 32 Pages.

Page M29 – Civil War #1 (of 7), $3.99. Written by Mark Millar, Art by Steve McNiven. Has to say, this was the first time in a very long time that I smiled after checking out preview pages of a major Marvel event. Namely – New Warriors! One of the most important ingredients in the major crossover event is the second and third tier characters, and how they interact with the main story. Of course, Millar has a history of killing off my favorite lower tier characters (Hornet!) so as long as this isn’t pointing to any of the New Warriors getting killed, I am all for it. Fingers crossed! Then again, while it was awesome to see the New Warriors pretty much owning the preview pages, and considering Millar’s history with lower tier character deaths, I am extremely worried… 48 Pages.

Page M38 – Fantastic Four – A Death in the Family, $3.99. Written by Karl Kesel, Art by Lee Weeks. The big hype for this one shot is the death of Sue Richards. Of course, the fact that Marvel is being so upfront about it, lends some suspicion as to how real it actually is. If they were going to kill her off, why not do it as part of the whole Civil War thing? No, most likely she will die, but will be alive and well at the end of the issue. Hopefully there is more to this story than that. 64 Pages.

Page M32 – Marvel Team-Up #20, $2.99. Written by Robert Kirkman, Art by Cory Walker. The first in a new five part arc that teams Captain America with a new hero – Freedom Ring. Naturally it is impossible to tell whether this character has any staying power, but if it does, this is an arc you need to get. Kirkman has been doing a really good job on this title, and this arc should be no different. 32 Pages.

Page M41 – Marvel Adventures The Avengers #1, $2.99. Written by Jeff Parker, Art by Manuel Garcia. Kind of an unusual Avengers make-up, but what the heck. It isn’t like the team has any traditional core anymore, you know? This all-ages take on the Avengers includes Captain America, Spider-Man, Storm, Wolverine, Giant-Girl, the Hulk, and Iron Man. Should be about on par with the usual Marvel Adventures fare. Light easy reading that should be free of oppressive continuity. Hopefully this will keep up the quality that the Marvel Adventures line has shown so far. 32 Pages.

Page M45 – Marvel Milestones: Black Panther, Storm, & Ka-Zar, $3.99. For those of you following the Storm/Black Panther wedding story, this might be an issue to get to catch you up on some of the classic encounters. This issue will collect stories from Marvel Team-up #100 (their first meeting), Black Panther #26, and a Golden Age Ka-Zar story from Marvel Mystery Comics #7. Of course, there is nothing new here – strictly reprinted stories, but they are old enough that many of you might not have had the chance to read them. 48 Pages.

Page M46 – Four #30, $2.99. Written by Roberto-Aguirre Sacasa, Art by Clay Mann. Looks like the mystery is solved – this title is indeed coming to an end with this issue. Not sure why they went through the trouble of changing the title from 4 and moving it from the Marvel Knights imprint if it was ending so soon, but far be it from me to guess at Marvel’s motivations. With all the great new Marvel books out these past couple months, perhaps this title fell under the category of fat that needed to be cut… 32 Pages.

Page M69 – Wolverine #42, $2.99. Written by Marc Guggenheim, Art by Humberto Ramos. New creative team for Wolverine this month. Of course, most of the buzz has to do with Ramos taking on the art chores, but the new writer is worth mentioning. Looks like Marvel’s trend of hiring television writers to helm their titles continues with Guggenheim, who has worked on CSI, Law & Order, and The Practice. Is this good for the industry? Tough to say. It seems like they have already run out of names big enough to really draw attention. But is it producing better stories? Jury really is still out on that. 32 Pages.

Page M82 – Haunt of Horror: Edgar Allan Poe #1 (of 3), $3.99. Written by Richard Corben and Rich Margopoulos. A new MAX title! Granted, it is only a mini, but it seems pretty clear they intend to keep the line going. Each issue of this series will feature three adaptations of Poe poems, complete with the full text of the poem itself. Maybe a little artsy for some comic readers, but this will be a treat if done properly. Looking forward to checking this one out. 32 Pages.

Page M94 – Firestar, $7.99. Written by Tom DeFalco, Art by Mary Wilshire. Here is a great idea – classic minis in digest format! Hope to see a lot more of this. This digest collects the 1986 pre-New Warriors four issue mini. I hope this is the first of many digests like this one. Finding back issues or buying $20 trades to get this older content scares a lot of people away, myself included. But $8 – this is definitely worth $8. A great way to reintroduce some old classics. 96 Pages.

Craig’s Top Five of the Month
#5 – Orson Scott Card’s: Wyrms #1 (of 6), $2.95, Dabel Brothers.What can I say? I am a sucker for Card. This story in particular.
#4 – Shadowpact #1, $2.99, DC Comics. It’s all about the monkey. Well, mostly about the monkey…
#3 – Civil War #1 (of 7), $3.99, Marvel. Those preview pages have me interested, I’ll say that much. But if that preview page was the death of the New Warriors – not that is something I am going to be able to forgive. Keeping my fingers crossed.
#2 – Last Planet Standing #1 (of 5), $2.99, Marvel. Quite possibly the very real end of the MC2-verse. If Marvel is serious about canceling Spider-Girl, at least the universe will get a worthy end.
#1 – 52 #1 (of 52), $2.50, DC Comics. Lots of potential here. A year-long weekly is a bit tough on the wallet – this one seems like it will be worth it though.

Craig’s Collection of the Month

Page 293 – Abadazad Book 1: The Road to Inconceivable, $9.99, Hyperion Books. Written by J.M. DeMatteis, Art by Mike Ploog. After a fashion, Stardust Kid did go the way of Abadazad. After a much too long absence, Abadazad is back! Not exactly in a comic format, but at this point the format doesn’t much matter. There are two Abadazad hardcover volumes being put out this month – both at the $9.99 cover price (the second a little longer, at 160 pages!). Finally some resolution to one of the most tragic losses to come out of the CrossGen crumble. Now if we could get some resolution on the Negation War… Both these volumes are must haves. Especially if you have kids! This is definitely something you can enjoy together. 144 Pages.

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