Previews-o-Rama part 1: The Front

It's time to go through the latest Previews to discover the good, the bad, and the strange:


Dark Horse

Bruce campbell writes (and his likeness stars in) a new miniseries, Man with the Screaming Brain. I'll betcha that this ends up being in a trade collection...

The movie did so well that they're bringing out a second volume of Alien vs. Predator. Well, at least it's a good price (96 pages for $7), and hey, if just 1/10th of the people who saw the film bought this comic, it would be a smash hit. (That's reall kind of a sad commentary about the size of the comics market, isn't it?)

Concrete: The Human Dilema comes to an end with issue #6. I heard that there's a huge spoiler in the solicitation copy, so I haven't read it. I want to be unspoiled!


There's a new Too Much Coffee Man collection from Shannon Wheeler, How to Be Happy.

Two manga trades: Samurai Executioner vol. 6 and What's Michael vol. 10: Sleepless NIghts.

Suprisingly little Star Wars product, considering that the movie will be out in theatres int he same month. Just three comics and a trade collection.


DC Comics

Lots and lots of overpriced Batman Begins merchandise crap from DC Direct. Who buys this stuff, anyway?

There's a comic adaptation of Batman Begins too. Back in the days before home video, comic adaptations were pretty much the only way to relive a movie experience. But in these days of ubiquitous DVDs, who really wants a comic book movie adaptation?

Lots of other Batman comics too, including a paperback collection of Azzarello & Risso's Broken City and Englehart, Rogers & Austen with a bi-weekly mini, Batman; Dark Detective. I'm completely unenthused about Bruce Jones's two issue, prestige format Year One: Batman/Scarecrow however.

But yay! Gotham Central: Half a Life collects the very good Montoya arc. I'm buying a copy, even though I own the original issues, because good comics need to be supported.

It's yet another creative revamp for the Superman titles--perhaps this time they'll get it right.

Gail Simone becomes the first woman to regularly write a Superman comic as she takes over Action Comics, with John Byrne in tow on art.

Greg Rucka stays on Adventures of Superman, with Majestic artist Karl Kerschl taking over the art chores.

Smallville's Mark Verheiden takes over the writing on Superman, with Ed Benes on art. Gee, how many pages do you think will go by before we get a Lois Lane butt shot?

There is no good reason at all for there to be a collection of Chuck Austen's Action Comics arc in Superman: The Wrath of Gog. The only thing I can figure is that DC are contractually obligated to Austen to issue a trade.

I normally really dislike Carlos Meglia's art, especially in his previous Superman work, but darn if the sample pages provided for Superman: Infinite City don't actually look good. Plus DCBS has this hardcover for half off, so depending on how much other stuff I want I may just end up getting it.

Fallen Angel comes to an end with #20, but rumor has it that it will get picked up by IDW. Of course, it'll cost us a buck more if it does...

DC revives an obscure silver age character, Hal Jordan, in Green Lantern #1, which you might overlook...

Another issue of Kyle Baker's Plastic Man (#16). Every issue that comes out is a little victory!

More Seven Soldiers goodness from Grant Morrison, with the second issues of Shining Knight and Guardian.

Gail Simone writes the new Secret Soc..., er, Villains United mini.

Dave Gibbons, of all people, writes The Rann/Thanagar War #1.

The World's Greatest Super-Heros collects the five tabloid-sized comics from Paul Dini and Alex Ross. At $50 for a 400-page oversized slipcased hardcover, that's actually a pretty good price.

Both The Batman Strikes! and Justice League Unlimited get kid-friendly digest-sized collections.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy collection from years back gets relisted to take advantage of the H2G2 movie.

2000 AD brings us a Judge Anderson collection, while Humanoids has Geoff Johns's Olympus.

Warren Ellis & J. H. Williams III have a new bi-monthly series, Desolation Jones, which should be good, I should think.

Gee, I wonder if any comic shops will even bother ordering the second Tanjho Tenge volume?

Hey look, is that a new issue of Planetary (#23)? Why yes, it is!

Devin Grayson & Brian Stelfeeze's Matador will get the ol' 'wait for the trade' treatment.

Alan Moore & Gene Ha's Top Ten: The Forty-Niners hardcover comes out. Yay! Plus, DCBS has it half-off. Double yay!

Boy, that was a lot of DC books. What? I still have Vertigo titles to go? Holy tree-killing, Batman!

The Losers get a third collection with Trifecta.

Phil Jimenez's Otherworld continues with issue #3.

Whew! Okay, on to thte next publisher:


Image

Doug TenNapel is back with a new OGN, Earthboy Jacobus, huge (272 pages!) and in color too.

The Luna Brothers leave Super-heroes behind (I think...) with Girls #1.

ShadowHawk returns with a new series. That sound you didn't hear just now is me know caring.

PVP has a promotional-priced 50 cent Zero issue.

DeMatteis & Ploog reunite with The Stardust Kid. Sure, it'll be the same basic story that DeMatteis always tells, but I'm in for the sure-to-be-gorgeous Ploog-osity.

Who asked for Tomb Raider vs. he Wolf-Men? Come over here so I can smack you.


Marvel

JMS and Mike McKone take over Fantastic Four (#527), just in time for a little art film based on the book that's coming out.

Marvel Nemesis: The Imperfects appears to be based on a video game, but with Marvel super-heroes thrown in. Good golly, Marvel can't even do a video game adaptation without super-heroes.

Machine Teen actually sounds like it could be good. If it indeed is, look for it to sell poorly, as Marvel these days seem to have no idea how to promote comics without people in spandex.

James Jean is all over the place these days; he's even doing the cover to Amazing Fantasy #8!

Marvel show that they have a sense of humor, as besides Wolverine & The X-Men, Marvel Milestones also reprints two stories of Tuk the Cave Boy.

Giant-Size X-Men #3 is mostly a reprint book, but there is a new story from Joss Whedon & Dave Cockrum.

Garth Ennis has a new Punisher one-shot, The Cell, with art from Lewis LaRose.

That cover to Shanna, the She-Devil #4 is just too damn Freudian...

Captain America #7 starts a new story arc, but didn't Cap die in last week's issue of Captain America & The Falcon? How can this be???

Do you have $4 to spend on page after page of boring text features relating for the much-delayed Secret War? Luck for you then that Marvel are publishing Secret War: From the Files of Nick Fury. It look slike a lot of it is reprinted from the back-up features in the already published Secret War issue too. Money, you shall soon take your leave of Sucker!

Power Pack, Power Pack, Power Pack! I said it three times because issue #3 comes out.

Powers gets a massive (488 page) hardcover collection of the first 11 issues.

I actually kind of liked Karl Kesel's Human Torch series, so I'm happy to see a digest collection of issues 1-6.

Wouldn't it be great if the only person who bought the Ultimate Adventures collection was Joe Q?


Okay, that does it for part 1; Part 2 will be along tomorrow...