We’ve got no time to waste with silly introductions about how I rule and you drool, because there are WAY too many things to enjoy this week. My reading pile is about to join the mile high club; a blessing and a curse.
Seconds by Bryan Lee O’Malley– Let’s start with a big kahuna: the first original graphic novel from O’Malley since Scott Pilgrim, Seconds! He may have been sheltering himself from Hollywood in his LA fortress since his greatly deserved success with the empire Scott Pilgrim built, but he’s been far from lazy working on his new (I’ll go ahead and say it) masterpiece. Seconds follows Katie as she’s offered a mysterious second chance at fixing what she thinks were past mistakes. With themes similar to his other great work, Lost at Sea, we get a look at those adult self-doubts of life and love, where we’ve been, and just where the f we’re going. What makes his work so great is that it makes a statement, without being overstated.
Cap’n Dinosaur One-Shot by Kek-W and Shaky Kane– Strange with a side of weird. Get all your 3-D glasses, sea-horses, and ray-guns together because Kek-W and Shaky Kane are taking you on an adventure through the classic back page ads of mid century comics, and leaving all reality behind. Follow Cap’n Dinosaur and Honey Moon to a deserted amusement park, with your master tour guides of surreal. And you don’t have to wait 5-7 weeks for the mailman to delivery these good times.
She-Hulk #6– If you’re inclined to read She-Hulk, you’re probably already reading it. But I picked up my first issue last week because Ron Wimberly was doing art, and I fell in love. This book is so cool. I have no history with this character, felt no loyalty to 
keeping up with long-held story lines, just picked it up, read it, loved it. My hope is that I can convince you that if a superhero book is done really well, you don’t need to have a 1200 single issue library of Hulk books to feel like this is accessible. You can be reading it RIGHT NOW! Which I recommend you start doing.
Lady Zorro #1– I’ve been supremely entertained by Alex Di Campi’s work on Dark Horse’s Grindhouse series. Bloody, violent, and powerful characters and stories that are consistently told in new ways, even if the stories have classic vibes. Nothing is more classic that Zorro, lady or otherwise. As a weirdo, I grew up watching reruns of the old black and white Zorro TV show, and the silliness of the premise was not lost on me. So I’m excited to see someone with a champion level grasp on the classics, spin a tale of a bad-ass heroine.
The Devilers #1– Joshua Hale Fialkov is on a god damn role this year. The Bunker, The Ultimates, and his latest greatest, The Life After, have been dominating the critics lists, and this creator-owned batch of work coming from Dynamite has a lot of talent behind it. For all you cult-obsessed readers, we meet a group of exorcists fighting against satan’s army, and presumably fighting for our souls. The first issue gives a lot of exposition because there’s a huge cast to meet, but it’s dark from the get go. All of this is supported by the juicy noir art of Matt Triano that looks like a classic Prince Valiant with less castles and more demons. Fialkov must be on “great beyond” streak between this and The Life After, but it’s working for him! (And Jock is doing covers)
Black Market #1-Because I will sing the eternal praises of Frank Barbiere, I can’t miss an opportunity to talk about his new Boom! series, Black Market. Handling superheroes with organic beauty and simplicity, we’re introduced to a genius that toils and wastes his day among the dead. But he’s given the chance to save lives by curing all diseases…with the DNA of superheroes. Sticking his writer nose further into the science/super genre, Barbiere is really exploring the evil for a greater good premise with unexpected consequences. Victor Santos, who did that amaaaaazing book, Polar, is providing shadowy relief artwork to compliment the literal shadows in which this new story exists.
The Auteur #5– Now that you’ve bought all these other fantastic comics, you can burn them, and pee on their ashes, because you now have a new issue of the Auteur.
