FANTASTIC FOUR #6

IN WHICH THE FAMILY RICHARDS travels back in time to watch the Big Bang, only to discover they’re not alone. Things go very badly. Our first two-parter! 

HAWKGUY #9

In which we see the other side of HAWKGUY #8, from the ladies’ points of view. Natasha, Bobbi, Jessica, and Kate each get their time in the spotlight; time fractures and reassembles like a tetris board, and an ending that declares THE PARTY IS OVER.

ELSEWHERE IN YOUR COMIC SHOP

PRINCELESS v2 #1

DO NOT MISS THIS. DO NOT MISS THIS. DO NOT MISS THIS. One of my favorite discoveries from last year (this and PRINCE OF CATS) — a fairy tale in which the princesses rescue themselves (hence they are Prince-less). As a dad of a daughter, as a dude sick of how comics portray women and girls, as a human being with both taste and empathy, and as a guy that just likes reading fun fucking stories, I love this book.

THE FLASH CHRONICLES, v4

These stories have been reprinted a zillion ways in a zillion other places, but if you dug some of that Carmine Infantino art that I posted last week and wanted to check the source, here’s one of a zillion places to start — a series of cheapish paperbacks that reprint the chronological appearances of the Flash. The, uh, second Flash.

MIND MGMT v1

One of the most singular and visionary comics being made right now. A weird-science-conspiracy brain romp that’s as fun and engaging to read as it is… uh… to read. That’ll make sense once you read it. Which you should. Immediately. 

HEY BIG SPENDER!

THE SPIRIT: ARTIST’S EDITION

This’ll set you back a yard-and-a-quarter but for 17 complete SPIRIT stories shot from the original art boards by comics’ equivalent of Orson Welles, I’d pay twice that. These books (the ARTIST’S EDITION series, I mean), at least the ones I’ve picked up, have all been amazing, worth every penny, and like a crash course in comics history and scholarship. Comics history the way it should be seen.

SAGA 12

Not available via Apple outlets! That should not stop you. One of the most singular comics out there continues to weave its quite frankly magical web. We live in an age where this and MIND MGMT (and MANHATTAN PROJECTS and PROPHET and… and probably more but I’m still waking up, leave me alone) happen at the same time. History will call this a renaissance eventually.

NEW COMICS!

F4 5AU

A narrative aberration, if you will; a cul de sac, a tie in, to the ongoing AGE OF ULTRON event currently ripping through the Marvel Universe. On earth, a psycho robot ULTRON has TAKEN OVER and KILLED PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING. Word reaches the Fantastic Four in space…

A few things to note: this is BLEAK and hopefully if I did my job right HEAVY and SCARY. It is NOT for everyone, as my FANTASTIC FOUR has been. So head’s up there, moms n’ dads — maybe this one doesn’t go in the storytime pile. 

Second, the art is by ANDRÉ ARUAJO. Remember the name: André is going to be a SUPERSTAR. I couldn’t believe that I got to write for him, and I couldn’t believe how GOOD HE MAKES THIS BOOK. Hate me, hate my writing, hate FANTASTIC FOUR, but you will want to SEE THIS BOOK. 

FF #5

At long last, Medusa. What was up with her, end of last issue? What’s up with Old John Storm? Fat and full of love for the lore and history of FANTASTIC FOUR — also brings Fleetwood Mac’s “Tusk” into canonical continuity.

think this also means im 3 and 2 walkthroughs behind. ugh…!

HAWKEYE #1 FIFTH PRINTING

I am putting that here because those words have literally never been said before and I find it staggering every time I think about it. Thanks, y’all.

And over in the books-with-glue department:

Thor finds out where nightmares REALLY come from.

Attn. fans of The Mountain Goats: when you punish a person for dreaming his dreams don’t expect them to thank or forgive you. Hail Satan.

FROM PEOPLE THAT DO NOT LIVE IN MY HOME:

Warren Ellis’ autobiography is out

and Fantagraphics wins the MUST-HAVE trophy for the week by dealing this ferocious twofer:

Fantagraphics proudly presents Guy Peellaert’s long out of print 1960’s Pop-Art masterpiece The Adventures of Jodelle in a lush, oversized hardcover edition. A satirical spy adventure set in an eye-popping psychedelic ancient Rome of horsedrawn Cadillacs, billboards and vampires, Jodelle has been re-translated and re-colored and features a huge annotated bonus selection of never-beforeseen archival art and photographs

and

Originally serialized in Love and Rockets Vol. II but never completed until now, Julio’s Day is Gilbert Hernandez’s latest graphic novel, a masterpiece of elliptical, emotional storytelling that traces one life through a series of enthralling vignettes. While Julio’s Day has some elements in common with Hernandez’s Palomar cycle, this is very much a standalone story that will help cement his position as one of the strongest and most original cartoonists of our time.

All right so get out there and spend some fucking money.