I’ve been having a lot of discussions lately on whether or not the reality that we see is actually real. Can you prove to me that the paper you’re holding in your hand right this second wont disappear in the next 30 seconds? Probability says no, but the realm of possibility is never tapped; more always exists, but it exists right on the cusp of our knowledge.
And no, I’m not just posing these mind-grapes because Seattle just celebrated Hemp Fest. I’m asking the collective you, readers, because these are the questions comics are all about! When you read something that challenges the way you think about yourself and your reality, you’ve found a good book. Lucky for us, this week is abound with personal mental challenges that will keep you pondering, keep you bringing questions to friends who just want to play Mario Party, and keep you generally interested in the world around you.
Job well done, comics! Now let’s see this weeks best o’ the best:
It’s going to be hard for me to not talk about this book every month that it comes out, not only because it’s written by good friend andfellow Forbidden Planet employee, but because it blows awesome books out of the water. 12 Reasons to Die? More like 12,000 Reasons You Should Read this Book. Number 23: It’s creatively packed with so much amazing art that expertly draws out both the ‘40s postwar crime, and ‘80s horror elements, you really do feel like a gangsta (and it DOES feel good). Number 666: Transmedia! Have you ever been reading a really intense scene in a comic, and wish that music would start playing? That’s what’s so brilliant about this project, is that neither the album nor the comic are just straight adaptations; they work in tandem with each other to bring you as much content and story as humanly possible. Number 9,000: Storytelling that handles a complex narrative and timeline as expertly as Rob Liefeld uses Twitter, at which he is amazing. Do your self and your mom a favor, because you know she’s a Wu fan, and buy this book.
Dynamite Entertainment golden boy, Chris Roberson, is launching a new title this week that is full of spies, codenames, foreign threats and grumpy bosses who take you under their wing and then make you hunt down dictators. For a first issues this book lies pretty standardly in the spy genre, but the mystery of what is really happening to cold war era leaders sets up a solid story for conspiracy and things-that-aren’t-what-they-seem mystery…the best kind of mystery. This series proves to provide classic thriller pulp, and character drama, mostly between the seasoned Operative 5, and his new greenhorn partner, Operative 1001. Can they round up our greatest heroes to save the Free World?!
A lot of people, either out of fear or fun, like to contemplate where the end of the world will come from: zombies, overpopulation, nuclear attack, or destruction of the planets’ crops. Alright, now I’m depressed because none of these things seem that far off. But as Ed Bisson and Johnnie Christmas explore, the end of YOUR world is the same thing. The creators tease the reason as to why the world is ending soon, causing groups to make shelter compounds. But a coup amongst the youth of the camp examines the psychological aspects of a sheltered life, and not just the contrast between that world and the one we’re familiar with. Victoria, a teen who joins Safe Haven just before psycho killer Lucas begins his coup, stands as contrast to his mentality, and in this issue physically stands against in him a battle. Lucas’s group very well may bring the end of the world before the mysterious big bad comes anyways.
People throw around the word meta a lot these days, rarely using it in the correct context, or to its full potential. But this new book by Glen Brunswick is the definition of meta. A comic book writer, Willard Penn, scores an unexpected hit with a superhero whose main goal in life is to get laid. But this hero doesn’t stay on pages, and instead joins Penn’s real world looking for love. Unfortunately, the story’s villain also crawls his way into existence, forcing the duo to find the right partner, quickly. See, like I said in my intro, reality is all a perception of the mind, maaaaan.
Lots of numero unos out this week, and I would be remise if I didn’t mention that DC has a new line of uber villains dropping this Wednesday. Justice League? Dead! Hope? Dead! Evil? Coming for Earth as we know it. Earth 3 is revealed, letting lose evil incarnations of the Justice League who are aiming to take over. If you’re in the know, you’ve probably already begun reading blogs and interviews with writer Geoff Johns, getting the play-by-play scoop on the new series. But this isn’t just a way to explore the deep, dark, and complex versions of classic heroes, it’s a universe altering series that is tied to your favorite past events of the DCU (Flashpoint, Trinity War, etc.) and will be the placeholder for new worlds to come. It’s as much of a celebration of your favorite villains as it is a way to delve into evilll.
Can Jonathan Hickman be writing anymore books at once? I honestly think that this man has a time stopper that allows him to just stare into space for weeks and ponder its mystery. After this intense period of pondering is over, he brings us what he saw on the other side, and it is good. Master of complexities has been bringing you recent titles such as: “Avengers”, “New Avengers”, “Trinity”, “Manhattan Projects”, and “East of West”. This alone should be enough for you to pick up this new Avatar Press title. But because I’m getting paid the big bucks to write this thing (false), and because I like to hear the sound of my own inner voice (true), I’ll tell you a little more about why this should be in your pull-list. The title might lead you astray, because this book is all about the reality of gods of ancient; the ones that people have attributed successes and failures to for thousands of years. Humankinds hubris and penchant for destruction have led the ancient rules to walk amongst the mortal once more, causing humans to wonder what, if anything, will help them stop the destruction of earth. Classic Hickman will most likely cause you to have sympathy for the destroyers, conversely cheering for the humans, and contemplating your own existence. It’s a tall order, but someone has to write it.
Self-discovery time: I think my use of exclamation points is inextricably linked to the amount of caffeine I’m consuming whilst I write. Clearly, it drops at the end.
