Previews! (July 2015)

Here are some recommendations from this month’s Previews catalog for product shipping mostly in September.

I first saw Paybacks previewed at ECCC 2015, and it looked fun enough to try, so now I can. I do wonder if the parody has legs for an ongoing.
Also seen at ECCC 2015 was Aaron Lopresti’s Power³ (or Power Cubed). I like Lopresti’s art well enough, but he’s doing everything on this mini-series. The only issue I have based solely on the description is how much tension can there be when the main character has a device that conjure anything he wants? Maybe he’s limited by his own imagination, like I would be?

Every time I read “Donna Troy” in a Wonder Woman solicitation, I want to resubscribe, but word on my street is this new direction ain’t so wonderful (but I’m guessing I may get the trade).
Artist Jock is back with Scott Snyder in Batman #44 to tell the origin of new villain, Mr. Bloom.
Batman Annual #4 reveals that Bruce Wayne is alive. Given how Endgame ended, I’m very curious what that experience has done to Bruce and his future as Batman.
This month features Green Lantern variant covers, and Detective Comics #44 showcases Batman of course and Golden Age Alan Scott Green Lantern. I really want to get this issue just for that variant.
Grayson #12 has Dick returning to Gotham, and the second annual teams Dick up with Superman.
That Lee Berjemo We Are…Robin #4 cover is pretty cool.
Convergence arrives again, but this time in collected form: the main series gets a HC edition, while the two-issue mini-series are collected in various trades divided by “event” (Crisis, Zero Hour, etc.).
Teen Titans: Earth One arrives in trade as well (you can skip it…).
Catwoman gets a 75-year HC collection, and Batman gets a Golden Age Omnibus edition.
If you loved Scott Snyder’s and Jim Lee’s Superman Unchained and wanted a trade, here you go.
Over in Vertigo, Sandman: Overture finally completes AND you can order the deluxe edition as well.

Star Wars gets the Artifact treatment spotlighting the first ten issues of Marvel’s seminal run.
Atomic Robo is now calling IDW home, and to celebrate, you can order a new mini-series (Atomic Robo and The Ring of Fire) and The Everything Explodes Collection trade ($40). I am very tempted to get that trade.
The Infinite Loop ends with #6, so if you were trade waiting, wait a bit longer and then go buy it!
I was intrigued by the Amelia Cole and the Impossible Fate trade, then realized it was not the first one. I may start reading this series from Monkeybrain Comics.

Plutona sounds good: kids find the dead body of the world’s greatest superhero, and Emi Lenox is doing the art.
I’m also interested in Faster Than Light because of one line from the copy: “With all the idealism of the original Star Trek and the grit and immediacy of Gravity, the story of humanity’s first thrilling and terrifying adventures to the stars takes flight!”. I don’t give a hoot about the Augmented Reality connection–put the cool stuff in the comic, not an app.
I’m totally getting the new version of the Science Is the New Rock ‘n’ Roll t-shirt.

The almost forgotten Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale collaboration Captain America: White is finally back with the first two issue (of 5). Issue one is extra-sized with a reprint of #0.
The Mark Waid/Chris Samnee run on Daredevil comes to a close with #18. sigh
The Neil Gaiman run on Miracleman begins to be reprinted.
To capitalize on the immense popularity of Agents of SHIELD (I guess?), a bunch of the characters get one shots. It’s striking how much Agent May on the cover of her one-shot does not look like the actress at all. Maybe that’s intentional?
Hey, fans of Damage Control, not you can get that complete collection trade! I’ve never read the series, but always wanted to.

Other publishers

Boom is issuing a new Wild’s End mini-series (The Enemy Within) by Dan Abnett and INJ Culbard. Plus, you can get the trade of the first mini.
The Third Witch tugs at my literary heart: it’s about the witches from Shakespeare’s MacBeth.
Finally from Boom, the 128-page Peanuts: A Tribute to Charles M. Schulz. That realistic drawing of Charlie Brown on the cover kind of freaks me out.
Chartwell Books is collecting the War Years for Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman, each in their own book.
Dynamite is throwing Vampirella against Aliens for six issues. I’m so surprised to see an Alien anything these days.
Sadness. Uncanny, Season Two is ending with issue 6. Hopefully I’ll–I mean we’ll–get a season 3!
Are you a fan of E-Man? Me neither, but in case someone is, now that someone can order the 10-issue Charleton Comics run in one $28 trade.
Want a lesson on how not to write solicitation copy? Read the blurb for Moon Streak #1 (hint: don’t include a hashtag as part of your sentence. Or at all.).
Colleen Doran is drawing Stan Lee’s Amazing, Fantastic, Incredible, and Marvelous memoir. I don’t know, this might too much Stan the Man for me.
I think I’m going to have to get the Dick Grayson, Boy Wonder book celebrating 75 years of the Dickster.