Before You Buy Comics This Week

Editorial by Mike Heronime
Descriptions by Midtown Comics

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #552
Writer: Marc Guggenheim

Artist:Salvador Larroca

Manufacturer / Publisher: Marvel

Description: "BRAND NEW DAY continues with two new web-slingin� creators: Oscar-nominated screenwriter Bob (Back to the Future) Gale and artist extraordinaire Phil (NEW X-MEN, Infinite Crisis) Jimenez! What starts as a petty theft from a local Soup Kitchen turns into a chase that results in the birth of a brand-freaking-new Spidey villain � and we mean �Freak� literally! Plus: more JJJ! More Daily Bugle � oops, we mean DB! Repercussions from the actions of new villain, Menace! Curt Connors! And � what you�ve really been waiting for, true believer � Peter Parker does his own laundry! Will those stains come out? And what ARE those stains anyway? Find out in �Just Blame Spider-Man!�"

Editorial: The first two months of a brand new day (how stupid does that sound?) have been pretty great.  Let's see how the next creative team of Gale and Jiminez will handle the pressure.

CASANOVA #12
Writer: Matt Fraction

Artist:Fabio Moon

Manufacturer / Publisher: Image

Description: "As Sasa Lisi unravels the mystery of Casanova's disappearance, the girl with the most daddy issues in the world comes gunning for daddy's secret spy moon base in a no-holds-barred bloodbath. All hell breaks loose as Zephyr and her psychotic boyfriend Kubark Benday come to E.M.P.I.R.E. to settle some family scores. And by ""settle some family scores,"" we mean "kill everything that moves." Find out why GQ calls CASANOVA, ""Devastatingly geeky – and brilliant."""

Editorial: For off-beat wackiness, this comic book can't be beat by anything on the shelf.  If you liked Warren Ellis' Nextwave, then you'll love Casanova.  Matt Fraction has been outstanding with Ed Brubaker on Iron Fist but here on Casanova, he holds nothing back.  Plus, Gabriel Ba's buddy, Fabio Moon is totally delivering the goods with his stylized approach .  And giving Gabriel Ba's Umbrella Academy a run for its money in a contest for who's the most stylish stylizer?  You can start complaining at any time.

DARK TOWER LONG ROAD HOME #1
Writer: "Robin Furth, Peter David"

Artist:"Lee, Isanove"

Manufacturer / Publisher: Marvel

Description: "It�s the return of the best-selling comic book series, inspired by Stephen King�s epic The Dark Tower! Gunslinger Roland Deschain has seen the death of his lover Susan Delgado. And the Big Coffin Hunters who burned her at the stake are now in pursuit of Roland and his ka-tet Cuthbert and Alain. The friends are forced to flee into the desert with the deadly posse in hot pursuit�.and Roland is in a coma! Don�t miss this opening chapter starring the Gunslinger whose quest for the Dark Tower will shake the foundation of reality itself!"

Editorial:  So, you got some kinda problem with Stephen King, Jay Lee, Peter David, and Richard Isanove?  How do you beat a team up like that?  Even Robin Furth, who is probably an unknown to most comic book readers is basically a Stephen King mini-me.  The first arc on Dark Tower was a visual masterpiece complemented with dialog spoken in a language that seems old and new all at the same time.  Packed with extra content, it was a no-brainer to pick up each issue last time around.  I expect this time -- more of the same...  maybe even better.

DC THE NEW FRONTIER SPECIAL
Writer: Darwyn Cooke

Artist:Various

Manufacturer / Publisher: DC

Description: "Celebrating the DVD release of the New Frontier movie comes this collection of never before seen stories including �New Frontier: The Lost Chapter,� with script and art by Darwyn Cooke! This tale provides a first-hand look at Faraday�s quest to outlaw masked vigilantes, culminating with the day Superman goes to Gotham to bring down Batman. Also included are two back-up stories featuring Wonder Woman, Black Canary, Sgt. Rock and others, as well as behind-the-scenes bonus material from the movie!"

Editorial: Darwyn Cooke can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned.  I just picked up the DVD.  haven't watched it yet.  Hopefully tonight.  Anyway, the original run was tremendous so anything created in this camp will get my attention.  If you haven't experienced Darwyn Cooke yet, do yourself a favor and pick up DC New Frontier, The Spirit, and anything else you can find with his name on it.

LOGAN #1
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan

Artist:Eduardo Risso

Manufacturer / Publisher: Marvel Knights

Description: "Superstar artist Eduardo Risso (100 Bullets) joins critically acclaimed writer Brian K. Vaughan (TV's LOST, Y: The Last Man) for a unique take on the man who's the best there is at what he does. Finally armed with long-lost memories from his past, Wolverine returns to one of his first battlefields to settle an old score in an all-new adventure with a shocking revelation about the man known as Logan."

Editorial: If you've ever read 100 bullets, I'm sure you were looking at Risso's art and going "this guy would draw a mean Wolverine."  Well, tah-dah!   Now he's gone and done it.  Along with master storyteller Brian K Vaughn.  I'm not the kind of comic book collector to go out and buy everything with Wolverine on the cover  (who could afford it?) but this is one Wolverine story I won't miss.
 
SCUD THE DISPOSABLE ASSASSIN #22
Writer: Rob Schrab

Artist:Rob Schrab

Manufacturer / Publisher: Image

Description: "�CHALLENGE OF THE OVER-USED MUSE,� Part Two�After Scud is hired by Heaven to destroy the world, he and Drywall attack VOO-DOO BEN�S office at Scudco. Deep inside the robot factory, Scud�s monster primary target, JEFF, waits for revenge. Scud 22 climaxes with a battle royal between Scud, Drywall, V.D. Ben, Jeff and three dozen disposable assassins."

Editorial:  Look.  I'm a sucker for robots.  And Schrab's art is definitely wacked out.  Lately, there's been a movement to make comics fun again (Casanova, Marvel Zombies, Umbrella Academy, Nextwave, Zombies vs Robots, Modok's Eleven, Atomic Robo, The Irredeemable Ant Man, just to name a few) so the time is ripe for Scud to make a comeback.

TWELVE #3
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski

Artist:Chris Weston

Manufacturer / Publisher: Marvel

Description: "How will your now-elderly family react when you return to them after an absence of 63 years? That�s the crisis of the soul faced by Mister E, and an emotional confrontation that shines a spotlight on secrets about his past and heritage. Plus, the origin of the Fiery Mask! And golden age Zombies!"

Editorial: Another recent trend in comics is the retro team. Alan Moore's Watchmen laid the ultimate foundation for this approach. Pull together a bunch of Golden/Silver/Bronze Age heroes and make them cool again. So if you liked Watchmen, the Invaders, Agents of Atlas, Dr. Thirteen, and Project Superpowers, you'll feel right at home reading Twelve.

ZOMBIES VS ROBOTS VS AMAZONS #3
Writer: Chris Ryall

Artist:Ashley Wood

Manufacturer / Publisher: IDW Publishing

Description: "The war between the starving zombies and the surviving robots has overrun an island once filled with Amazon warriors. Now, a small band of survivors tries to stave off the inevitable in this concluding issue of the greatest, most ridiculous of team-ups, courtesy of Chris Ryall and Ashley Wood. "

Editorial:  Like I said before, I'm a complete sucker for Robots.  In this case, Zombies and Amazons are just icing on the cake.  And any cake baked by Ashley Wood is definitely going to get me asking for desert.  If you are looking for a comic book that makes sense, don't look to this one.  But if you're into lots of gratuitous sex and violence, what are you waiting for?  Robots fighting Zombies fighting Amazons. Badabing.