Incoming Inventory

100 Bullets #73
I’m seeing this series through to the end, rumoured to be the appropriate issue 100, and enjoying it as it comes out. It probably reads better in the trades, but it’s too late for me to switch now.

Ex Machina Special #2
Ex Machina was easily one of the best new series of last year, so any more Ex Machina comics are warmly welcomed in the Clandestine Critic household. Sprouse brings his usual quality to the Mayor Hundred universe; could this be the start of other artists’ interpretations of The Machine?

Fables #50
Three cheers for Fables reaching the half century. A new Vertigo series is always facing an uphill struggle to keep going, so I’m very glad that this is doing so well (with a special and a spin-off confirming this). Hope Willingham keeps up the quality in the next 50.

JLA Classified: New Maps of Hell
My devotion to Warren Ellis wasn’t enough to make me buy this in the singles format, but the aggressively priced trade is perfect for me. Good reviews of the tale, as well as the fact that I am an Ellis whore, mean that I’m looking forward to picking up this solid chunk of comic goodness.

She-Hulk TPB #3: Time Trials
I want to buy this, but $14.99 for five issues means that it’s the same price as if I bought the comics. Damn you, Marvel! Trades are supposed to be cheaper than buying the comics, you money-hungry bastards. Give me my cheaper trades!

Squadron Supreme #4
After last issue’s change of tract, from slightly clichéd superhero tropes to a polemic on American involvement in Africa, I have renewed hope for this title, despite not being happy with the change from a MAX title. JMS still appears to be heading for thoughtful superheroics, which is what I’m reading it for, and Gary Frank is still on top form.

Ursa Minors #1
This is a possibility, based on the good vibe I’ve picked up from the web, the wonderfully bizarre premise of the series, and various previews. I’ll take a look at it when I’m in the shop to decide.

Linky-linky

LinkMachineGo (does the person have a name?) does the ‘100 Reasons Why I Love Comics’ post; I particularly like ‘Gaze into the fist of Dredd!’ reference. It’s rather strange seeing this on the site because, as long as I have been reading it, LinkMachineGo has been a very interesting links site (the original definition of a blog), and I have been directed to some great things by the choosiness of the links, covering London, comics, film and other wonderfully bizarre stuff. As with the links, we share similar tastes in common, although my list was quite different.

Greg posts a handy collection of links of his Comics You Should Own column. He’s been doing this for a while, back on his own blog, Delenda Est Carthago, now regular on PopCultureShock [EDIT: website no longer exists], and it’s very interesting. He’s going alphabetically, only on the ‘D’s, so he’s got a lot more to recommend. I don’t agree with all his choices (although the PAD Aquaman & Atlantis Chronicles were good, I don’t think they are Comics You Should Own; I was also quite disappointed by Camelot 3000, despite the lovely Bolland art, but I think I’m in the minority), but the majority are very good comics, and Greg writes engagingly about them all.

Finally, an image. Newsarama provides this cover by Jim Lee to the new Grant Morrison-written WildCATS. Now, I love Jim Lee’s art (as mentioned in this post), but this is quite a dull cover. It doesn’t really capture any sort of feeling, or give any kind of mood. It doesn’t scream, ‘BUY THIS! IT WILL BE COOL!’ I will be buying the book, obviously; it is written by GM and drawn by Lee, so how could I not. However, I hope the interiors are more interesting than the exterior.