Hope everyone had fun at BookCon/Book Expo. Was Chaucer there? He’s pretty great. If you’re Northwest local, the Olympia Comics Fest is this weekend in our state capitol, with special guest Charles Burns! He’s pretty great too.
The Superannuated Man #1– Ted McKeever would never be accused of making stories that weren’t unusual. His last series from Image, Miniature Jesus was premised on a crucifix that becomes sentient and leads the alcoholic pastor of a small church down a path of supernatural recovery. This new book, The Superannuated Man, is no less bizarre. The coastal town of Blackwater is overrun with mutated creatures who speak with heavy Scottish-like accents, often eat each other, and at the very least and really really concerned with the one person who appears to have not mutated, but is probably losing his mind. McKeever stabs into the peculiar without exposition, and the reader follows closely behind, with all senses alert, not knowing exactly what they’ll find on the journey.
Big Trouble in Little China #1– The legend of Jack Burton is alive and well in one of my most anticipated cult movie-turned comic book releases of the year. What’s almost better than the fact that we’ll be able to read more stories about everyone’s favorite truck driver as he navigates the supernatural and with super kung-fu through San Fran Chinatown trying to help his friends Wang Chi and Miao Yin actually tie the knot. So it’s pretty much a straight up sequel from the movie. But the best part is the creative team. Eric Powell and Brian Churilla! These are some straight up pros of the highest caliber, with books like The Goon and D.B. Cooper under their respective belts. The film’s director, John Carpenter, consulted with Powell on the script, ensuring that the new series will have the same Pork Chop Express vibe everyone loves.
Princess Ugg #1–Continuing the solid list of highly anticipated number one issues coming out this week, is a new series by Ted Naifeh, author and artist of the acclaimed and well-loved series, Courtney Crumrin. Princess UGG! She’s not like other princesses. Swords instead of scepters, wielding axes instead of ladies in waiting, and a trusty mammoth instead of a pony. The Princess Academy of Atraesca won’t know how to handle Princess Ülga of Grimmeria. An exciting new teen book from Oni Press that makes me laugh and root for Ülga every time I read it. This princess ain’t nothin to mess with.
Nailbiter #2– I think I was lazy the week this first issue came out, and didn’t write about it. But after reading the second issue I’m glad I waited to endorse reading this, because it got even better. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we’re no strangers to the lore that something about our constant overcast (it’s sunny right now), damp dreariness (it’s like 75 degrees), and frazzled caffeine nerves (no comment), are the perfect hotbed concoction for serial killer primordial ooze. And while I can’t deny that a fair number of people who decided to take up the serial mantel were either born here, or spent considerable time here, doesn’t mean that we all have pillows made out of human hair. But the permeable myth has festered in the town of Buckaroo, Oregon, which has played home to nearly a dozen killers. When one detective goes missing in the town, his partner is determined to uncover the secret to why this town spawns some horrific butchers.
Judge Dredd: Mega-City Two #5–They say all good things must come to an end, and unfortunately that’s true for everyone’s favorite high energy Dredd story of whirl-wind of crime fighting, monster slaying, and where the camera’s are constantly rolling. The conflagration of Dredd’s West Coast-best coast investigation into covert corruption have led us to LAW-CON, where you’ll see the most egos packed into one room outside of San Diego comic-con. This event will put our hero through the gauntlet one last time. Will he ever make it back home to the peaceful, serene, Mega-City One?
