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Comic List Highlights (3/30/2013)

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Mar 302013

Polarity may tell you that car accidents can cause superpowers, but, please, don’t believe it.

Do, however, enjoy the fictional psychedelically tale that Say Anything frontman, Max Bemis, weaves in his Boom Studios miniseries. Rule one of writing is to “write what you know”, and Bemis has taken that to heart in Polarity by focusing the story around a bipolar rocker who gets in a car wreck and finds his disorder is actually a special ability. And if you’ve found you have superpowers and a rocker, you’re probably going to play your guitar with you mind and punch bad guys in their mugs. You might also choose to include a special downloadable song with each issue.

This next year brings with it a number of amazing looking video games, primary among them is The Last of Us. Serving up some gorgeous post-apocalyptic New York landscapery, this game stars a teenage girl and a grizzled older man surviving against the elements and hordes of roving marauders. Dark Horse‘s The Last of Us: American Dreams tells the tale of how the girl, Ellie, made it through the initial years of the apocalypse before she met her guardian. Written by one of the creators behind the video game, this miniseries is an essential read before playing the game.

Sean Murphy produced the artwork for the surreal toyland adventure series Joe the Barbarian, showing the comic world how expressive, expansive comic storytelling is done. Last year Murphy brought his scratchy style to Vertigo and the series Punk Rock Jesus. Now, all six issues are out in a handy trade paperback presentation. Religion and television are crammed together in the series as a cloned version of Jesus, named J2, becomes the star of a hit reality show. How J2 affects those closest to him as well as the entire country, is what the series becomes interested in discussing. Profanity, lewdness, vulgarity, and sacrilegious debauchery are the order of the day in Punk Rock Jesus, so pick it up if you dare.

Let’s be honest, everyone who saw The Avengers last summer loved it. However, only about a third of those people understood who the purple-chinned dude was in the after credits scene. No matter which person you are, you’re going to want to pick up Marvel‘s Thanos Rising miniseries. Jason Aaron brings a hefty dose of the legendary epicness he’s been serving up in Thor God of Thunder to this soon-to-be-classic series detailing Thanos’ rise to power. Brought to life not only by Aaron’s stellar words, but also Simone Bianchi’s tapestry-esque paneling; a painterly equivalent to Esad Ribic’s art on Thor. Plus, this series will lead into the upcoming arcs of both Guardians of the Galaxy and Nova, two of the hottest Marvel NOW books on the shelves.

Comic List Highlights (3/6/2013)

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Mar 022013

Welcome to the bad old days.

The world is a pit of despair, Ultron is in charge, and there’s no hope for survival…except for a rag-tag bunch of heroes with a plan. Spider-Man, Luke Cage, Emma Frost, Wolverine, Invisible Woman, Taskmaster, Beast, She-Hulk, and Moon Knight are the last ditch effort for the Marvel Universe to continue existing, but something tell’s me they may have a chance. This dystopian future tale is THE EVENT for the Marvel Universe this year, with three issues coming out a month for the next three months. And don’t worry about crossovers with other series, because they’ve been kept to a minimum and left as non-essential; read’em if you want, don’t if not. With the mad puppeteer of Marvel, Brian Michael Bendis (All-New X-Men, Uncanny X-Men, Scarlet), having worked on establishing the implications of this tale over the last four years, Age of Ultron is going to leave its mark. And for a series that epic in scope you need an artist that can match the tone. Luckily, Bryan Hitch (The Ultimates, America’s Got Powers) was able to lend his deft talent at cinematic realism to the book! Don’t get left behind like so many did with Avengers vs. X-Men, pick up issue one of Age of Ultron, or one of its many variants, this Wednesday!

Cullen Bunn has managed to blend sci-fi, horror, and western genres in the long lived Sixth Gun series with ease. Now Bunn is applying the same strategy to a tale of viking carnage! Helheim begins with a brutal siege on a tiny, seaside village by forces of evil. But standing between them and the meaty townsfolk is Rikard and his horde of viking warriors. Though you might think you know where this story goes from there, you’d be surprised. This is only the beginning. Bunn just rocked Marvel NOW! with his first issue of Fearless Defenders (you know we’ve been talking it up at the store!), an issue which also featured some viking fisticuffs, and aims to do the same to Oni Press with the start of this new ongoing series. When you blend gothic horror, witchcraft, and zombies, you get Helheim!

Searching for images of Joe Casey’s Sex #1 resulted in some awkward moments at the store. Yeah….

One of this month’s Image Comics releases, advertises itself as “a good reason to come into the comic store – to buy SEX!” Though it may be crass, it’s true. Joe Casey has written everyone from Wolverine to Batman to The Avengers to Spider-Man, but he’s never written anything as chock full of debauchery. A former superhero is forced to give up his vigilante lifestyle only to take to the streets for some much needed R&R. However in a town like Saturn City, R&R can get rather S&M. Follow Simon Cooke on his dark, dirty journey through the recesses of a town gone wrong in a post-modern superhero tale unlike any other in comics today.

And finally tonight, another twist on a classic tale.

No Place Like Home was one of my favorite miniseries from Image Comics last year thanks to its intelligent, inventive reworking of the classic L. Frank Baum fable, The Wizard of Oz. Dee is a rocker from the city, but a rural kid at heart who must return home to Kansas after the grisly murder of her parents during a tornado. After getting home and rekindling friendships with old acquaintances, Dee stumbles into a decades old mystery that ties together her parents, the two sheriff, a local drunk, and…a flying monkey? Comic newcomers Angelo Tirotto and Richard Jordan dropkick Judy Garland and replace her with a twisted slasher film sprinkle with famous imagery and characters from the classic tale. Oh, Tirotto claims this is only the beginning of an epic arc that’ll take Dee all the way over the rainbow.

Comic List Highlights (2/6/2013)

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Feb 022013

Andy Diggle and Jock, the superstar creative team behind Green Arrow Year One and The Losers (which is a thousand times better than the film, by the way), lend their talents to a new creator owned series from Image Comics this Wednesday. Blending political thrillers, Clerks, and gritty noir storytelling, Snapshot is a four issue miniseries bound to thrill you more than once. When an lifelong nerd employee of a comic store (this is sounding familiar…) finds a cellphone full of grisly images of someone’s murder, he has no other option than to run as fast and as far as he can. But it’s never that easy is it? If you’ve been enjoying the sketchy, moody artwork of Jock in the Batman back-up stories or in Scott Snyder’s previous Detective Comics run, The Black Mirror, then Snapshot is your cup of tea.

Sorcery receives a modern update in Top Cow‘s Son of Merlin miniseries.

Building off of the classic Arthurian figures of myth, Son of Merlin picks up when a respected professor of science finds out he’s actually the descendant of the famous wizard, Merlin. And, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but science and magic don’t exactly see eye-to-eye. However, before the good doctor can think through his new predicament, he’s being hounded by the immortal Morgan le Fay. But there’s a whole secret underground society of ancient magic users that might just be willing to come to his aid. Drawn in the gorgeous, expressive tradition of the famous Top Cow books to come before it like Fathom, Charismagic, and Witchblade, Son of Merlin will cast its spell over you.

I say, my dear Watson, the zombie is a foot!

Though not strictly a Sherlock Holmes versus zombies story, The New Deadwardians is about the closest to it you’ll ever get. Written by cult favorite author and comic legend Dan Abnett, this post-Victorian England horror/mystery yarn takes places in an alternate reality where, after a zombie infection spread throughout the population, the majority of the remaining English citizens had to submit to becoming vampires in order to fight them off. Now, it’s the vampires who’ve becoming the upper-class aristocracy while the zombie population are cordoned off on the outskirts of town. Chief Inspector Suttle, a forever young himself, is tasked with solving a grisly crime, the first in nearly a decade, during a growing zombie uprising. It’s all elementary from there.

Love is in air for the DC Universe this Wednesday.

To celebrate Valentine’s Day a week early, DC releases its most romantic anthology yet, the Young Romance DC New 52 Special. Containing six unique stories of famous DC couples like Aquaman and Mera, Midnighter and Apollo, and Catwoman and Batman spending their special day together in the only way superpowered crime fighters can, as well as stories of Wonder Woman, Dick Grayson, and others coming to terms with the relationships they’ve entered into. Each of the stories is written and drawn by a talented creator, like Andy Diggle, Gene Ha, Ann Nocenti, Kyle Higgins, Becky Cloonan, and Peter Milligan. And for those old school romantics, the issue comes with usable Valentine’s Day cards. Oh, amore!

Comic List Highlights (12/19/2012)

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Dec 152012

Before we get into the pimping of cool merchandise, everyone at Pulp just wants to give a special thank you to everybody who came out last Wednesday and made Dennis Hopless’ signing a HUGE, HUGE success. We’re all very proud of Dennis and watching him rise to prominence as a Marvel writer, so it’s nice to see so many of our customers are ready to support him.

Now with the mushy stuff out of the way, let’s talk about another kind of mushy stuff. I mean seriously, was anyone not shocked speechless after Avengers Arena #1?!! Well, luckily, you don’t have to wait that long to see which hero bites the dust next and what the fallout will be regarding the first major death of the series, because issue #2 drops this Wednesday. That’s right, only a week after issue #1, you get to have another helping of violent, grisly teen drama served to you on a platter.

And, not surprise here, Cable & X-Force #2 also ships this Wednesday, providing answers for the Phalanx infection that seems to be encroaching on the pleasant beach at the end issue #1. Plus more firing of absurdly giant guns.

Comic readers have spoken and Marvel has listened. Because of the outcry for more female creators and characters in comics, Marvel has begun to publish a number of series either written or drawn by women, as well as many featuring the superheroines of the universe. First among them is the most recent ongoing Captain Marvel series. Written by the quirky Kelly Sue DeConnick, Captain Marvel brings Carol Danvers back to prominence by bringing her name and costume out of the dark ages of comic sexism and into the modern era. The first issue of the collection will bring any new reader up-to-date while the second storyline sends Carol back in time to team-up with one of her airwomen idols of World War II. Certainly a great gift for a daughter or niece looking to get into comics.

Remember, the D is silent.

Read the story before seeing the film with the first issue of Django Unchained. Usually film-to-comic adaptations are weak sauce, but a there’s a couple special aspects of this series that set it apart from the others. Foremost, R.M. Gueara, the artist of Jason Aaron’s gritty, legendary crime epic Scalped, lends his chalky, scratchy pencils to Tarantino’s vision, grounding the book in a moody atmosphere. Also, given that Gueara did little other work while working on Scalped, Django Unchained offers another rare chance to see his skill at work. Along with the artwork, the book’s plot and dialog is lifted directly from Tarantino’s screenplay, including scenes that didn’t make it to the theatrical cut of the movie.

With the cold weather encroaching this winter, there’s only one acceptable way of warming yourself up: wrapping a schizophrenic, murdering superhero around your shivering body. And if that’s your plan, there’s only one of those around, and that’s Deadpool, baby! So, grab yourself a merry little Deadpool Hoodie this season, whether it’s in medium, large, extra large, or double XL.

No one will question why you’re talking to yourself in public ever again.

Comic List Highlights (11/21/2012)

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Nov 172012

Why does Otto Octavius want to see Peter Parker?

Actually, how does he even know to ask for Peter Parker?

This Wednesday’s Amazing Spider-Man #698 answers both of those questions as well as creating a whole bunch more. Dan Slott, who’s been writing the Web-Slinger for around the last eight years, has been claiming for the last couple of months that this issue of ASM is going to change EVERYTHING. Now, usually, that’s a whole lot of baloney, but there’s some strong indication in this case that he’s telling the truth. For one, Doctor Octopus has been in a bad way, even near-death, over the last couple of storylines, which means he might be on the chopping block. Certainly a character who’s been around as long as Doc Ock biting it would be a big event in the Spider-Man universe. Or maybe Peter bites it? Or maybe both? Who knows? All I can say is that every should pick up a copy of this issue, because what comes after is going to be unlike any Spider-Man story that’s come before.

Marvel NOW! rolls on this week with Captain America #1 and Indestructible Hulk #1, as well.

Rick Remender, writer of Uncanny X-Force, Venom, and Uncanny Avengers, is going to be taking Captain America to places he’s never been too before. Utilizing the immense range of artistic talent that lies within John Romita, Jr.’s hands, Remender sends Captain America and a young girl far across the known universe to Dimension Z. It’ll be a fight for survival, as Cap has to fend off disgruntled denizens, dangerous terrain, and unusual weather, he proves exactly why he’s a living legend and the best soldier in the, apparently, entire universe.

The Hulk may not appear to be the most complex or emotive character around, but if anyone can find the humanity within the monster, it’s Mark Waid. Waid has been around the block a time or two, having written some of the best stories in comic book (Kingdom Come, The Flash, and “Tower of Babel“), plus he’s currently writing one of the best Marvel series being published, Daredevil. Dropping The Hulk into the middle of Marvel‘s top espionage agency, S.H.I.E.LD., and not to destroy them but work for them. Such an unusual situation is sure to bring about some of the most unique Hulk stories to be written. Just imagine the conversations around the water cooler at the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier the day after the Hulk “accidentally” smashes an agent.

You remember that Arnold Schwarzenegger movie where there were two of him ’cause somebody decided it would be a good idea to have to inaudible main characters in a single film? No, I don’t either. But I can promise you that Image Comic‘s Clone ongoing series will be nothing like it. Produced by Robert Kirkman’s Skybound imprint, Clone lives up to its name as a horde of identical versions of Dr. Luke Taylor begin to descend upon his life, attempting to murder his wife and child. As you might imagine, this doesn’t go well. Juan Jose Ryp (Wolverine: Best There Is) brings every bit of dirty, blood, sweat, and grit to life with his hyper-detailed art style, so not only will this book be unlike any Arnold Schwarzenegger movie you’ve ever seen, it’ll look a damn sight better, too.

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Comic List Highlights (3/30/2013)

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