ArtisticallyChill

With money being extremely tight due to the economy, I’ve decided to try to keep my spending at Keith’s Komix to no more than $20 a week. This also means I will have to cut off more comics from my pull list. This sucks.

This week’s pull was cut down to the following:
• BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM # 8
• DEADPOOL: MERC WITH A MOUTH # 7
• GREEN LANTERN CORPS # 44
• JOE THE BARBARIAN # 1
• THE MICE TEMPLAR: DESTINY # 6
• THE OUTSIDERS # 26
• POWER GIRL # 8

PICK OF THE WEEK: GREEN LANTERN CORPS # 44

Written by Peter J. Tomasi; Art and cover by Patrick Gleason and Rebecca Buchman; Variant cover by Greg Horn

Witness the fury of Guy Gardner – Red Lantern! But what horrible attack on the Corps would fuel Guy’s rage? And how can anyone save him from the grip of the crimson fury?

All I have to say after reading this issue is that I will never underestimate Mogo’s status as a Green Lantern ever again.

SERENA’S PICK OF THE WEEK: THE MICE TEMPLAR: DESTINY # 6

story BRYAN J.L. GLASS & MICHAEL AVON OEMING, art VICTOR SANTOS & VERONICA GANDINI, cover MICHAEL AVON OEMING, alternate cover VICTOR SANTOS & VERONICA GANDINI

Karic’s destiny has been a mystery to the young mouse ever since tragedy first struck his home, and when he learned he was a focal point for supernatural forces. Now the cryptic Bats of Meave render their judgement, and set Karic upon a course of action that can only end in disaster. While Cassius leads Llochloraine, the Templar, Maeven and their students in a desperate battle against the fearsome, deadly power of the Scorpion God.

PREMIERING THIS WEEK: JOE THE BARBARIAN # 1

Written by Grant Morrison; Art by Sean Murphy; Cover by Sean Murphy

Having an overactive imagination can get a kid through a lot, but it doesn’t change the facts: Joe’s still the kid in school that can’t fit in. He’s the victim of bullies. His dad died overseas in the Iraq war. And then there’s the Type 1 diabetes he has to live with.

So is it insulin-deprived delirium or something much, much bigger that transports Joe to a land inhabited by all his toys – from ninja commandos to action robots to magical knights to star fleet captains? Is Joe really the savior of this wild fantasyland that’s been held under siege by dark magic and evil forces? With the help of a samurai rodent, is he ready to take back besieged castles and win the freedom of an oppressed people? Or is he just an over imaginative boy who could die if he doesn’t take his meds?

White-hot writer Grant Morrison follows up his phenomenal BATMAN AND ROBIN with an epic adventure that’s Home Alone by way of Lord of the Rings accompanied with to-die-for Art by future superstar Sean Murphy (YEAR ONE: BATMAN/SCARECROW, HELLBLAZER).

With the first issue only going for a dollar (plus tax), JOE THE BARBARIAN looks to be another smash hit of mini-series that can only be told by Grant Morrison. As far as the art goes, I’m new to Sean Murphy’s work and so far from the previews seen earlier, his work looks like it’s a solid match for Grant Morrison’s storytelling.

~ LoneWolf

Despite the year starting off to a really shitty start, we refused to mope around the apartment. So to lift our spirits up we hit up our favorite place for comic books and bartender sage-like advice – Keith’s Komix. We had a lot to pick up. Well, most of it was for me. But there are a lot of BLACKEST NIGHT tie-ins to look forward to as well as some BAT-family titles. Serena was excited to see that SKY DOLL – DOLL FACTORY # 2 was finally on the shelves.

• ADVENTURE COMICS # 6
• ANGEL # 29
• BATGIRL # 6
• BATMAN # 695
• BOOSTER GOLD # 28
• BUFFY SEASON 8 # 31
• CATWOMAN # 83
• GREEN ARROW AND BLACK CANARY # 28
• THE POWER OF SHAZAM # 48
• SECRET SIX # 17
• SKY DOLL – DOLL FACTORY # 2
• TITANS # 21
• THE UNWRITTEN # 9
• X-MEN ORIGINS: CYCLOPS # 1

PICK OF THE WEEK: UNWRITTEN # 9

Written by Mike Carey; Art by Peter Gross; Cover by Yuko Shimizu

As Donostia jail burns, assassins stalk its corridors in search of Tom Taylor — and so do the children who’ve decided to be his saviors. But there’s one terrifying encounter still to come, as the Inside Man finally unmasks.

SERENA’S PICK OF THE WEEK: SKY DOLL – DOLL FACTORY # 2

The Story: Fans and true believers, rejoice! An awesome treasure chest is finally at your disposal, filled to the brim with drafts, sketches, roughs, illustrations and all the painstakingly collected research material which allowed Barbucci and Canepa to raise the Space Fantasy saga to an all new level. Creating their own blend of drama and fun, mixing sci-fi and cyber culture with religious concepts and elements of design from the ‘60s, they have created a universe to dive into and delight in! So, raiders shift your gears to plunder and set your sights on the sexiest bounty in the comic book universe! Pages and pages of exclusive and previously unreleased magic can be found in this collector’s issue! Including character sketches and designs, as well as an exclusive interview with the creators and a sketchbook by superstar artist Claire Wendling!

~ LoneWolf

We made it into the comic book store right before it closed. But since Keith is such a good guy, he stayed open a little longer than usual. Normally it’s game night, but no one showed up so he was gonna close earlier than usual. When we showed up, followed by Mickey, a regular and friend of Keith and now our friend, we hung out, talked about how being paid salary sucked, brainstormed a few designs for Serena’s artwork signature, and discussed the insanity of Michael Bay. In this week’s pull, I decided that Captain America: Reborn wasn’t worth the pick up since I wasn’t sold on the story when I read the teaser in Captain America # 600. I also passed on Deadpool: Merc With A Mouth. I think Deadpool is approaching comic bloated-ness with mini-series and one-shots, much like Wolverine. These types of publications are just to waste more of your hard earned money. Money that could be spent on better comic books, like BATMAN AND ROBIN.

• ANGEL: AFTER THE FALL # 23
• BATMAN AND ROBIN # 2
• BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL # 31
• BUFFY SEASON 8 # 26
• CABLE # 16
• FABLES: 1001 NIGHTS OF SNOWFALL (HC)
• GREEN LANTERN CORPS # 38
• SOULFIRE # 10
• UNCANNY X-MEN # 513

MY PICK OF THE WEEK: BATMAN AND ROBIN # 2

Written by Grant Morrison; Art and Cover by Frank Quitely; Variant Cover by Andy Kubert
“Batman Reborn” continues with the reteaming of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, WE3, New X-Men)! In a blazing Gotham City police department, the new Batman and Robin face the bizarre, fighting freakshow that is the Circus of Strange and find that they don’t make as good a team as Batman had hoped! Meanwhile, the mysterious Sasha escapes from Professor Pyg and vows vengeance on the people who killed her father.

Despite the inevitability of Bruce Wayne’s return, and the predictability of BATTLE FOR THE COWL, the new Terrific Trio (I’m including Alfred in with the Dynamic Duo) is working out all too well. But would you expect any less from Morrison and Quitely? You’ll read this issue quick and want to read it again, taking in every panel and text bubble. Alfred’s role has grown even more as he plays both a therapist and a referee to Dick and Damien because of their unique, clashing personalities.

As interesting as a Jason Todd/Damien Wayne Dynamic Duo would be (think about it), Morrison and Quitely’s storytelling will surely make this Batman And Robin series memorable.

SERENA’S HARDCOVER PICK OF THE WEEK: FABLES: 1001 NIGHTS OF SNOWFALL

Written by Bill Willingham ; Art by Charles Vess, Brian Bolland, John Bolton, Michael Wm. Kaluta, James Jean, Tara McPherson, Derek Kirk Kim, Esao Andrews, Mark Buckingham, Mark Wheatley and Jill Thompson; Cover by James Jean
Don’t miss this stunning original hardcover collection written by FABLES creator Bill Willingham set in the early days of Fabletown, long before the FABLES series began! Featuring sequences illustrated by Charles Vess, Brian Bolland, John Bolton, Michael Wm. Kaluta, James Jean, Mark Buckingham, Jill Thompson and more, 1,001 NIGHTS OF SNOWFALL is both an entry point to the critically acclaimed series and an essential part of Willingham’s enchanting and imaginative FABLES mythos.

Traveling in Arabia as an Ambassador from the exiled FABLES community, Snow White is captured by the local sultan who wants to marry her (and then kill her). But the clever Snow attempts to charm the sultan instead by playing Scheherazade, telling him fantastic stories for a total of 1,001 nights. Running the gamut from horror to dark intrigue to mercurial coming-of-age, FABLES:1,001 NIGHTS OF SNOWFALL reveals the secret histories of familiar FABLES characters through a series of compelling and visually illustrative tales.

SERENA’S PICK OF THE WEEK: SOULFIRE # 10

Story and art by Michael Turner, script by J.T. Krul, colors by Peter Steigerwald.

The finale issue of Soulfire has arrived just in time for Soulfire month! As the magic returns and worlds collide, our heroes fight for their very lives in the showdown of the century! Some will live and some will die, but one thing we know for sure, the world of Soulfire will never be the same again! Experience all of the climatic thrills in this special oversized issue! Plus, don’t miss the first ever glimpse of the new Soulfire Volume 2 by Francisco Herrera! It’s a Soulfire unlike any you’ve ever seen before.

~ LoneWolf