Buy These Flippin Comics!!! – 10.30.2013 – (RE)Enter Sandman
“Omnia mutantur, nihil interit – everything changes, but nothing is truly lost.” – Dream Sandman #74 (1996)
Sherlock Holmes. Superman. Optimus Prime. James Bond. Jesus of Nazareth. You just can’t keep a great character dead. Death and rebirth is a staple of all literature, and this week sees one of the great comic book characters and series find new life. Step inside and let’s talk about superstar author Neil Gaiman revisiting the work that made him famous, and a few of the other great titles dropping this week. Don’t know what’s coming out? Check (HERE).
Also, if I fail to give a shout-out to a book that has you swooning, make mention in the comments below!
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The Sandman Overture #1 (of 6) – DC Vertigo
Neil Gaiman (W) J.H. Williams III (A)
I think it’s safe to say that when we hear about a creator re-entering the world they created, we accept the news with trepidation. The bond we have with characters and stories can be as strong as familial ones. The moments these stories capture are as lightning in a bottle, and sometimes impossible to reproduce. So we smile and nod our head at the news, but our insides twist into knots, our brow beads with sweat, and anxiety towards the project grips us. I felt these same emotions when Neil Gaiman announced he was bringing Morpheus and his siblings (The Endless) back for another tale. “The Sandman” is one of those books you can never forget – the stories stay with you long after you close the last page. Though the book is a wonderful mix of fantasy, horror, and mythology, its stories are strikingly human. So many times throughout the series I felt invigorated and enlightened by the text, written at such a high level by Gaiman, I felt the book made me smarter, perhaps even more enlightened – if not on the entire human condition, at least maybe about myself. So with the stakes so high, it might be best to just ignore the project altogether, right? Enter J.H. Williams III, an artist who is impossible to ignore. Together with Alan Moore, Williams helped create the underrated masterpiece “Promethea,” and I’m certain he and Gaiman can reinvigorate and recapture the beauty of the original “Sandman” series. Even with the comic stands being chock full of great books this Wednesday, this is the title I’m most looking forward to.
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Saga #15 – Image Comics
Brian K. Vaughan (W) Fiona Staples (A)
I saw a five-page preview of this ish a couple days ago and got super excited. Like “fist punch the air” excited. This book is so awesome. If you don’t know, they you JUST DON’T EVEN KNOW, PEOPLE!!! And for those of you who don’t know, but want to – it’s the sci-fi/fantasy story of a family, but more than that it’s the story of war, and life during wartime.
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Prophet #40 – Image Comics
Brandon Graham/Simon Roy (W) Simon Roy/Giannis Milogiannis/Farel Dalrymple (A)
AND we get another issue of Prophet this week? Is it my fuggin birthday or something? Am I about to die? Is this real life?! Yes, no, possibly, and yes. I love this super-weird, super-inventive space sci-fi book to pieces. I love it for Graham’s ability to stretch and expand the old Liefeld-verse into shapes barely recognizable, and I love it for bringing me artists that I’ve loved for a long time (Farel Dalrymple), and introducing me to artists that I might not have known otherwise (Giannis Milogiannis, Simon Roy).
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Marvel Event Grindhouse:
Infinity #5 – Jonathan Hickman (W) Jerome Opena, Dustin Weaver(A)
Battle of the Atom #2 – Jason Aaron (W) Various (A)
Marvel continues to make it rain with events (the Ultimate Universe ultra-mega-EVENT “Cataclysm” also begins this week), and as much as I enjoy “Infinity” and dig some of the ideas and cool character redesigns in “Battle of the Atom,” event fatigue has FO SHO gripped me. Just gimme Matt Murdock beating the shit out of some ninjas on the rainy streets of Hells Kitchen. Gimme the X-Men hangin around the kitchen table, laughing and making fun of Beast getting fur in the mayo jar again. Gimme Peter Parker getting yelled at by J. Jonah for blurry photos of The Lizard. Gimme small, character driven stories, fer cryin out loud!
Oh, wait, I’ll just go read Hawkeye some more. (FIST PUMP)
Seriously though, Marvel. Knock it off with the event shit. If you go small, it makes the big stuff actually seem BIG.
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Other Notables:
Avengers #22 – “Infinity” tie-in…natch
Mara TPB – I’ve heard great things about this Brian Wood/Ming Doyle jam.
True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys – I still dig this book – even if no one else does! Harrumph!
Thought Bubble Anthology 2013 – Tons of great talent on this book: Fabio Moon, Gabriel Ba, Jeffrey Brown, Richard Starkings, Brandon Graham, Ming Doyle, Adi Granov, and more. For $3.99 and all proceeds going to charity, it’s worth a look.
So my wallet is going to hate me this week. I have that feeling. Still, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Tons of great comics to read! Lemme know what you’re snagging!
Until next time!