ArtisticallyChill

More titles picked up, more titles put on hold, slowly removing titles from my pull list. To our surprise, there were some new releases from Aspen Comics. Not to my surprise, Marvel’s NECROSHA storyline is wrapping up, only one more issue to go, and yet I still can’t make out WTF is exactly going on. There was also a FREE comic out today by Marvel called X-Men SECOND COMING: PREPARE. Basically it previews the next big X-title story arc, SECOND COMING. Cable and Hope Summer return to the present and all hell breaks loose apparently. The title of the arc is aptly named but what is this Second Coming? The rebirth of the mutant population? The rebirth of Phoenix or Dark Phoenix through Hope, the first mutant to be born since M-Day? It sounds interesting enough, but I think I’ll wait for the graphic novel. There’s a lot more interesting things going on with DC that I want to keep updated on.

• BLACKEST NIGHT # 7
• BLACKEST NIGHT: JSA # 3
• THE FLASH: REBIRTH # 6v
• THE MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ # 4
• SOULFIRE # 2
• SOULFIRE: NEW WORLD ORDER # 5
• X-FACTOR # 202
• X-FORCE # 24
• X-Men SECOND COMING: PREPARE

MY PICK OF THE WEEK: BLACKEST NIGHT # 7

Written by Geoff Johns; Art and cover by Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert; Variant cover by Rodolfo Migliari; Sketch variant cover by Ivan Reis

As Nekron continues to wage war on life throughout the universe, Hal Jordan discovers the grim, true mission behind the villain’s return. But the truth is so cosmically abysmal that it threatens to expose a secret that could tear the very universe asunder. You can’t miss this stunning, penultimate issue to the year’s biggest event!

SERENA’S PICK OF THE WEEK: THE MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ # 4

COVER BY: SKOTTIE YOUNG
WRITER: Eric Shanower
PENCILS: SKOTTIE YOUNG
INKS: Array
THE STORY:
The New York Times bestselling team of ERIC SHANOWER and SKOTTIE YOUNG continue their historic interpretation of the world of OZ! In this stunning chapter, Tin Woodman has a badge, and he’s afraid to use it to make sure law and order are preserved in the Land of Oz…

Happy Reading!

~ LoneWolf

This week we’ve got this and a little extra somethin’ somethin’ from our trip to Keith’s Komix tonight. On top of what we had waiting for us, I added DEADPOOL TEAM-UP # 899 and Serena added SHERLOCK HOLMES VOL. 1 published by IDW. This hardcover novel features the earliest adventures of the legendary detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It features illustrations by Kelley Jones and all the short stores are presented in chronological order. Serena also picked up the SERENITY LITTLE DAMN HEROES painted JAYNE COBB maquette which Keith was nice enough to set aside for her when she saw it last week.

• ASTONISHING X-MEN # 32
• BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL # 36
• BUFFY SEASON 8 # 30
• DEADPOOL TEAM-UP # 899
• FATHOM # 9
• THE MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ # 1
• PROJECT SUPERPOWERS: CHAPTER 2 # 4
• SHERLOCK HOLMES VOL.1
• SKY PIRATES OF NEO TERRA # 2
• X-MEN ORIGINS: ICEMAN

PICK OF THE WEEK: ASTONISHING X-MEN # 32

COVER BY: Phil Jimenez
WRITER: Warren Ellis
PENCILS: Phil Jimenez
INKS: Andy Lanning
COLORED BY: Frank D\’Armata
LETTERED BY: Chris Eliopoulos

THE STORY:
The X-Men have fought towering, mutant-slaying robot Sentinels before. But never one quite like this. Never a Sentinel made of meat and bone, wearing the skin of one of their own deceased teammates, every technological aspect given a biological solution. And as the X-Men fight for their lives, they’re left to wonder: What could this monstrosity have to do with THE BROOD?

Anything written by Warren Ellis is always worth the wait. Since taking over the writing duties with the last story arc, I have been eagerly waiting for what Warren Ellis has planned for The Astonishing X-men team. Paired with the very talented Phil Jimenez, Astonishing X-men continues to be my favorite X-Men title. And the fact that it’s the only X-Men title on my pull list (I dropped X-men Legacy and Uncanny X-men last month) is proof of that it is my favorite X-Men title and it is also why Warren Ellis is a literary god among men.

SERENA’S PICK OF THE WEEK: THE MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ # 1

COVER BY: SKOTTIE YOUNG
WRITER: Eric Shanower
PENCILS: SKOTTIE YOUNG
INKS: Skott Young
COLORED BY: Skott Young
LETTERED BY: Jeff Eckleberry

THE STORY:
The epic continues! Fresh off their landmark run on THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF OZ, superstars ERIC SHANOWER (Age of Bronze) and SKOTTIE YOUNG (X-MEN) return with L. Frank Baum’s MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ. Join new characters Tip and Jack Pumpkinhead as they’re whisked to Oz, and meet foes and friends! You’ve NEVER seen L. Frank Baum’s masterpiece like this before…

We both enjoyed THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ so it’s no surprise that Serena picked THE MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ out of the stack to admire the cover and flip through the book before we even checked out. Both Skottie Young and Eric Shanower have done an outstanding job showing us an OZ like we’ve never seen before.

RECENTLY ADDED TO THE LIST: DEADPOOL TEAM-UP

On a side note, I picked up DEADPOOL TEAM-UP # 899. For some reason I thought last month’s # 900 was part of the regular series and it was just making fun of all the comics that are in the hundreds. But then Keith pointed out that # 900 was the first issue of a whole new DEADPOOL series. Then he pointed out something that didn’t dawn on me – DEADPOOL is the new WOLVERINE. Think about it. Ever since Ryan Reynolds poorly portrayed Deadpool in that shitty Wolverine movie, and after a Deadpool movie was announced, Deadpool has had two new series added to it’s belt, MERC WITH A MOUTH, and just recently, DEADPOOL TEAM-UP. Looks like Marvel’s found another character to milk a few extra dollars from our wallets. So why did I still pick it up? Because Deadpool is an unpredictable and unconventional comic book character and it’s that quality that will make the stories interesting and make the readers want to read more. You don’t really need any continuity between all the Deadpool titles. Even Marvel doesn’t care to much as it makes fun of continuity by making DEADPOOL TEAM-UP’s numbering work backwards. The writers wouldn’t need to put in those little boxes to remind us what happened when because with Deadpool everything is in chaos. And a little chaos never hurts now and then.

~ LoneWolf