A lot to get through today, so let’s crack on and commentaritating (and making up words):
Marvel solicitations for October
As Marvel ploughs on with the massive Civil War crossover, there are only a few items worthy of merit that deserve mentioning, for whatever reason I see fit.
Ultimate Power #1
Bendis starts off this bizarre crossover, with the Ultimate U meeting the Squadron Supreme U. Shouldn’t DC be suing for stolen ideas – isn’t this a Marvel version of the JSA meeting the JLA? It should be interesting seeing Marvel do something like this, especially with the multiple writer approach of different writers doing three chapters in a row. I don’t think that this bodes well for the quality of the comic, but it is definitely worthy of attention.
Dr Strange: The Oath #1
Yet another attempt to ‘do’ Dr Strange for the current climate (the question everyone wants to know: will Neilalien like it?), this looks like it has a fighting chance in the form of Brian Vaughan, an interesting sounding story, and some fluid art of Marcos Martin. The preview pages are funny and attention grabbing, so could this be the one that works its magic? (Pun unfortunately intended.)
Criminal #1
Pure crime noir from Icon comics from the class Sleeper team of Brubaker and Phillips. Despite the nagging feeling that there isn’t a market for this book (the good crime noir books with superheroes – Sleeper, Gotham Central, Powers – have never done excellent business, so why will that change if you remove superheroes from the equation?), I will be there for what should be a cracking read from creator combo with good previous form. Here’s hoping that Marvel supports it …
Incoming Inventory
Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes #20
Following the nice aside of the whodunit of last issue, I hope the plot progresses a little with this one, and perhaps we’ll get another issue done completely by Kitson?
Casanova #2
Despite my feeling that Fraction missed the point of the Fell format in the first issue, there was a lot to enjoy about the introduction to Casanova Quinn, so this issue will be a test to see if it can work in 16 dense pages.
Runaways #18
I’ve deliberately been avoiding any news, interviews or discussion of Runaways stories, just so I can enjoy the unravelling of a death of a Runaway in an old school kinda way. It seems a shame to ruin a great last page from issue 17 with knowledge of what is to come.
X-Factor #9
PAD continues his ability to make me care about these characters and work them into a company-wide crossover, so I’m looking forward to this issue (with the showdown with Quicksilver), even if Calero is still doing the art. He’s improved since he began, but I’m not convinced. Yet.
Links
Jog makes it to two years, so belated congrats to the most prodigious writer in the comic blogosphere, with not an image in sight. Timely, consistent, jaw-droppingly insightful, I’m too scared to comment on his posts for fear of my stupidity being displayed next to such intelligent writing.
Frank Miller to adapt and direct a film of Will Eisner’s The Spirit – will this work? Is Frank the one to do it? I’ve not read any Spirit stuff, but I am fully aware of the respect in which it is held, so this adaptation has to really do justice to the source material for the sake of comic books.
