Hey there, Bastards! Other than Oni’s The Auteur #2, which I’ll be reviewing for the site on Wednesday, here’s the comic book cornucopia upon which I will ravenously sup this week.
Translucid #1
Co-written by returning Key of Z husband/wife team, Chondra Echert and Claudio Sanchez (of Coheed and Cambria fame), Translucid will apparently take a new look at an old comic book trope: the relationship between superhero and super villain. More specifically, the nefarious Horse will plunder the psychosis of his nemesis, the vigilante known as The Navigator, to see what makes him tick so darkly. Now, I’ve never read Key of Z or Kill Audio, so I have no idea how these two write together. The only thing I do know is that I pretty much hated Sanchez’s The Amory Wars when I tried to read it years ago. For some reason, however, even though this story sounds like it’s grappling with cliché, I’m cautiously in. Most of that, I think, has to do with artist Daniel Bayliss, whose controversial web comic, The Deal, blew me away when it came out at the end of last year. Interestingly, it too took a different take on the villain/hero dialectic, but using Batman and the Joker (inarguably the genre’s most archetypal pair) as its subjects. If he can help the writers recapture the magic of that fantastic little surprise, then Translucid could be a little bit of awesome. Be sure to look out for Nick’s review here at Comic Bastards on Wednesday!
Bad Ass #4
I have to admit, when Bad Ass #1 first came out, I was less than impressed. In fact, on Episode 117 of the CBMFP, you can hear Kevin and me try to talk Dustin down from liking the book. But what can I say? I was wrong! What started off as a goofy, what I thought to be empty little story about a complete asshole with luck powers has really come around for me in the last few issues. Honestly, I’m surprised as hell that I’ve been following this book, let alone actually looking forward to its monthly release. But hey, this is fun, brutal, semi-super-powered vengeance wish-fulfillment. If that’s not comic book as fuck, I don’t know what is!
Sex Criminals Vol. 1 TPB
I know, I know. I’m probably the only nerd out there who hasn’t been following this book with obsessive monthly zeal, but I read a lot of comic books, you guys, and I can’t keep up with everything. Pretty much everyone who has ever picked up a comic is ruining their inseams over this book about lover-criminals gifted with orgasmic quantum powers, so I won’t go into it, other than to say that I’ve been properly churned by the hype machine. I’ve been trade-waiting for this book for a long time, so I’m looking forward to what promises to be a timely climactic release.
Sinestro #1
Much like baddies themselves, villain-led comics can be tricky beasts with varying levels of success. But this is mafackin’ Sinestro we’re talking about! As anyone who knows me knows, I’m a humongous Green Lantern mark, with ol’ Thaal taking the top spot in my pantheon of ne’er-do-wells. Saying that, even though I generally like what he’s done in what could be argued is a similar treatment of Magneto, writer Cullen Bunn is largely hit or miss with me, and I’m also not a big fan of Dale Eaglesham’s art. But in the end, the draw of Sinestro’s first solo book is far too great for me not to give it a look.
Superior Spider-Man #31
That’s right, fanboys and girls ... I’m a Superior guy. Even though I’m pretty sure most of the other Comic Bastards will hate me for that admission, I’m just gonna have to bite down and take the hit. Ever since the manager at my LCS correctly guessed that Marvel’s “SUPERIOR” tease meant Doc Ock would be pilfering the Spider-Mantle, this entire run has intrigued the absolute hell out of me; so much so, in fact, that I’m kind of not looking forward to Pete’s big return. Still, there’s just no getting around the fact that I want to see what happens at the culmination of Dan Slott’s hugely contentious run on SSM, and exactly how it will bleed back into Amazing. Love or hate, there is no debate that the titular storyline behind this title has gripped the comic book community, and as a firm follower, I’d be remiss if I didn’t see it to its inevitable conclusion, for better or worse.
Other possible grabs:
- Curse #4 - Ms. Marvel #3 - Batman #30 - Solar Man of the Atom #1 - Superman: The Silver Age Newspaper Dailies Volume 2: 1961-1963 (HC)