comicmix

Here are some thoughts and recommendations about this month’s Previews catalog for product shipping mostly in April. Part 1 covered DC and Marvel. This part will cover highlights from the rest of the companies.

Dark Horse

Black Hammer by Jeff Lemire, Dean Ormston, and Dave Stewart looks like fun. What happens to superheroes who are removed from their continuity?
Drew Edward Johnson’s Midnight Society: The Black Lake looks intriguing. Or maybe I’m just on a secret agent kick right now.

IDW

Fans of the Ghostbusters franchise may be pleased that the two versions of the guys team up. Am I the only person who doesn’t understand why there are two versions of the Ghostbusters? What’s the deal/diff?
The X-Files ends its Season 10 with #25, but fear not I Want to Believers! It will be back for a Season 11.
Star Trek goes back to its roots in exploring old tv plots with the new Star Trek paradigm. This time, in #46, it’s the Tholians and their webs.
Go buy the Star Trek: New Visions trade, volume 2 by John Byrne.
I am tempted to get the Miracleman Artifact Edition.
And then there’s the Mike Zeck’s Classic Marvel Stories Artist’s Edition. I was never a big fan, but I knew many who were.
IDW is dipping its toes so to speak in the romance comic genre with the Long Distance mini.
I almost didn’t notice this, but I kind of want the Bacchus Omnibus by Eddie Campbell.

Image

I’m sure it will be an interesting experiment, but count me out of Airboy by James Robinson and Greg Hinkle.
Announced at a previous Image Expo, 8House arrives with the first book in a shared universe, Arclight.
The Covenant might be good, but I just don’t have faith in it.
Chew hits 50! Plus, you can order the first eight trades.
A new story arc begins in Sex Criminals #11.
There are several trades that you might want to get: volume 5 of Criminal: The Sinners, Danger Club, volume 2 (just buy it!), Invincible, volume 21 (I have a feeling my relationship with this title may be winding down), and The Wicked + Divine, volume 2.
*Sad crying face* My beloved Alex + Ada is ending with #15.
But I get new issues of Lazarus, Nameless, and Saga to help me cope.

Other

Rachel Rising continues with #34. You’re buying this, one of the best books on the stands, right?
History is being made with Archie #1 by Mark Waid and Fiona Staples, along with 21 variant covers by many wonderful artists (if variant covers is your thing).
I am very interested in The Fiction (especially now that Unwritten is gone) by Curt Pires and David Rubin (from Boom Studios).
But I will be getting Strange Fruit also from Boom. This is by J. G. Jones and Mark Waid. What if “Superman” arrived in 1920s Mississippi? The preview art looks amazing. Note that this arrives in July.
The teenager in me really wants the George Perez Sirens (Boom) art portfolio.
Comicmix is giving us the Jon Sable: Freelance Omnibus, volume 1 for fans of the Mike Grell adventurer.
This is a bit odd: Home: Lighter than Air, from Double Take, partially takes place in the Night of the Living Dead universe, but the film folks have nothing to do with this comic. That raises a red flag, doesn’t it?
Hmm, J. M. DeMatteis’ and Paul Johnson’s former Vertigo book, Mercy, is getting a new printing from Dover Publications. Did any of you read that back in the day?
I have yet to see any of the movies featuring those funny, loveable (I guess) yellow Minions, but Titan Comics is putting out a two-issue mini-series/tpb digest/hard cover–take your pick!
From Quirk Books comes The League of Regrettable Superheroes by Jon Morris. This book examines some of the scores of failed superhero characters from the Golden and Silver Ages and beyond.
Back Issue magazine #82 (Twomorrows Publishing) takes a loving look at pivotal Bronze Age events, like Crisis, Secret Wars, and more. It’s a must-read for me.