Variant Covers: Tell Superboy That Denim Sucks!
Abandon hope all ye who enter! This is Variant Covers, the column where I tell you what’s coming out in comic book land this week. I’m penning this from what I previously thought was the Boston area in the United Empire. It has come to attention now that I have been living a lie, that I am actually firmly ensconced in Hoth. What can you do? I’m killing time in this world of continual snowfall through copious amounts of caffeine, and funny books.
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Daytripper TP.
The ten-issue series by Fábio Moon & Gabriel Bá caught my eyes on the racks while it was still coming out. Of course, I hadn’t heard about it until it was six issues deep, and I faced a financial decision: spend the money to catch up, or wait on my ass for several months and grab it as collected. What’d I do? Well, I’m picking it up tomorrow, so there’s that. Still though, I have a good suspicion that the thing is going to be fantastic. The twins’ artwork is always gorgeous, and I’m hard pressed to pass up anything they do. The premise is a bit on the surreal tip, but can be described as a work that “tells the life story of an obituary writer and the many potential paths (and deaths) that could color his existence.” It’s a roll of the dice to recommend something that a) I haven’t read, and b) isn’t cheap, but it’s a ten-dollar or so gamble. Take a risk! And if you hate it? Uh, kindly forget that I pimped it.
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Sweet Tooth #18. [Jeff Lemire Title #1 of the Week]
In a less propserous time, Sweet Tooth would be my favorite monthly. Easily. These days, it’s fucking complicated. It’s a great time for comic books. But whether or not it’s my favorite title, it’s fucking excellent. The title began as a somber trip through a post-apocalyptic world, and its followed that with some bizarre shared collective unconscious between a couple of characters, and eerie biblical references. Jeff Lemire, I love you. The last issue hit with the emotional impact of nothing less than a fucking atomic bomb with the wrapping up of the Animal Armies storyline.
This month our cadre of characters begin a long march, towards a world of snow and answers, and I’m interested to see where Lemire continues to take the storyline. It continues to open up, and the oddness and complexity that once was, continually is surpassed by what he thinks up next.
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Invincible Iron Man #500.1
Marvel’s rolling out a handy dandy issue for anyone who wants to jump into the world of Fraction and Larocca’s Iron Man. Take it up! If you’re not reading this shit, I have a somewhat convoluted suggestion. Buy this comic book, get caught up, and then, go buy IIM #500. The five-hundredth issue that dropped a few weeks back was nothing short of a futuristic, special-sized orgasm. I’m a huge fanboy for Fraction. Admitted. But what he and a stable of artists did to the Stark mythos in that issue is hard to diss. At least for me.
It involved the Mandarin, children of Stark, and the apocalypse. C’mon, you’re still not sold?
Also In Marvel This Week:
There’s a neat collection of Warren Ellis’ Thor storyline, “World Engine.” I picked up the first issue of this story back in the day, and even as a fan of Ellis and the God of Thunder, I wasn’t feeling it. It’s out there, but that’s a bit redundant when speaking of Ellis, no? They slapped it into a hardcover and they’re charging $16 for it, so I’d say pass. But if you’re hurting for something to read this week, there’s certainly more egregious ways to waste your money.
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Superboy #4. [Jeff Lemire Title #2 of the Week]
There’s only one thing that bothers me about Jeff Lemire and Pier Gallo’s current run on Superboy. That would be the kid’s outfit. Listen, I don’t know about you guys, but I have a hard time being awed by anyone whose costume is a black t-shirt tucked into some fucking jeans. I can’t be alone on this, can I? It’s ridiculous. I’d rather have him wearing his original outfit. That’s fucking saying something.
Griping aside, I love this comic book. Right now, Jeff Lemire is spitting hot fire across all his titles. His take on Connor Kent is fun. Straight-up fun. We have all the usual teenage bullshit that you get when writing a character of his age. You know, fitting in with friends, learning to rely on others, the occasional painful stiffy while staring at some tits. But Lemire also works in some fun action sequences into every issue, and Gallo’s artwork is enjoyable. I feels a lot like a weekly television show, with your monster of the episode/issue, while working towards something larger. Even if you don’t like Superboy (I didn’t), I’d recommend this pig.
Also In DC This Week:
If you’re still reading Batman: Odyssey, let it be known that the sixth issue comes out this week. Me? I gave up on it. Just wasn’t my cup of tea. I respect Neal Adams’ in an abstract way, but he doesn’t do much for me. I know this is grounds to a lot of you for me to be struck forcefully in the jimmy. But I grew up after him, and so while I’ve read about his works and contributions, my childhood was filled with Bane.
I apologize.
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What are you guys checking out this week? Hit me.