My hat is off to IDW, as they are truly showing the other companies what it means to publish comics in the new millennium. They publish the most mainstream of mainstream titles, but find the coin to get the nicest, small interest art books on the shelves to boot. They have all the prestige of a small boutique press, but are shameless in their high profile licenses.
If I went back in time twenty years and told you (if you were alive, and demographically speaking that is a safe bet) that ONE COMPANY would have the licensing rights to ALL of the following titles, Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Crow, Godzilla, G.I. Joe, and Magic the Gathering, you would swear I was lying…and those are just the titles they’re shipping this week!
And True Blood, which I omitted as nobody from twenty years ago knew what the heck that was.
NOW keep in mind that IDW is also publishing Frankenstein Alive, Alive! #2, the sequel to Bernie Wrightson’s Frankenstein (arguably one of the best rendered fantasy art stories of our time) as well as putting out beautiful, Artist edition reprints of Bernie Wrightson’s Muck Monster AND Sergio Aragone’s Groo and you can begin to see the bigger picture.
IDW is performing miracles, churning out quality comics to appeal to both the lowest of the mainstream ignoramuses and the snootiest of the high-minded comic book purists.
Get on board the IDW love fest and drink the IDW Kool-Aid!
ALSO RANS
IF (mind you I said “If”) I have any money left after Forbidden Planet takes it form me and gives it to IDW, I’ll be picking up some Dark Horse treats (Namely Goon #40, and Axe Cop: President of the World #1), and some DC nibbles!
Green Lantern #11 looks like a good time, as the Black Hand makes a New 52 appearance. I don’t care if Blackest Night was only a short time ago, I can’t get enough of DC Comics zombies.
Marvel is bringing its A-game this week as well with Amazing Spider-Man #690, Wolverine and the X-Men #14 (Phoenix Colossus goes on a date with teacher Kitty Pryde), and the newest X-title: X-Treme X-Men #1. YES, X-treme X-Men is comprised of all-new, all different time traveling versions of beloved characters from alternate dimensions. YES that is getting to be a
pretty worn out comic book trope…but look on the bright side: ANYTHING can happen in a book like X-Treme X-men, and it doesn’t have to put stories on hold to take part in huge summer cross overs.
CROSSING OVER
The Summer is rapidly running aground on the shallow shores of Autumn. The Dark Knight Rises is behind us, and we have to look towards dvd releases of super-hero movies to tide us over till next year.
It’s never too late for back to school shopping…did I mention all the swell IDW books hitting the shelves this week? Your dorm room could use more Groo comics, couldn’t it?!
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More musings from Unkiedev, Earth’s own sidekick, can be read at unkiedev.blogspot.com
