Comic Book Resources

Get Flash #13. Guggenheim's really done a swell job getting this book back on track, and it's just aces, Johnny, aces!

Savage Tales #2: Good anthology comics are a rare breed these days, but the first issue was a good read and featured some really nice artwork all around, especially if you like the sword & sorcery genre.

BTW, what Essential/Showcase did you end up buying for your birthday? Did I miss that post?

I got the first House of Mystery Showcase, Guy. I haven't read it yet, though. I'm slow!

I think I was trying to get you to buy Flash last month. I broke down and got Guggenheim's last arc (the first three issues of "Full Throttle" — #13 is, obviously, the conclusion). (Well, "obviously" unless you've not been visiting any comics sites over the past few days: They're cancelling this iteration of the series; this is the final issue.) I really like the stuff Guggenheim's done, and the art's great too. I'd be buying this title again if they kept this team on! Not as sold on Waid, but we'll see. Anyway, I dunno if it makes sense for you to buy this final chapter? But it would be fun to read your cold-turkey assessment of what's presumably a key piece in DC's next big event. Will Bart die? Will Barry Allen come back? (If they bring Barry Allen back, it'd better be a temporary twist: He should be one of the few heroes who stay dead.)

If I can goad you into buying a TPB, what about the Blue Beetle trade? The issue you bought recently isn't, presumably, representative of the comic. (I fell for it too — didn't realize it was a fill-in till I got home!)

Well if you don't mind paying $8.50 get Uncle Scrooge Adventures:Land of Pygmy Indians/War of the Wendigo TP. It has one Carl Barks tale followed by one Don Rosa tale that is a sequel to the Barks tale.

Maxwell Strangewell from Dark Horse?

Sounds interesting, if expensive.

It's original science-fiction by the guys who do the clone-wars adventures, and it's got lot of pages.

Marvel Adventures: Avengers Digest. It's Avengers comics for people who actually like the Avengers.

Of the ones I'm getting... you're already getting 'The Spirit', or not, so no point in mentioning that. JLA #10 has the finale of the JSA/LSH crossover, and this one might have some actual action in it as opposed to just setup, so that might be worth your time. 'The Brave and the Bold' is generally a good time, but this issue features Supergirl and Lobo, and I'm not sure I'd take the chance of recommending that.

I think I'll recommend 'Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century' #3. The first issue was choppy and underwhelming, but #2 went down easy, so I'm optimistic about how this series is going to shape up.

"Annihiliation: Conquest" Prologue. Can't go wrong with space opera.

Heroes for Hire #11

All right...just kidding.

Madame Mirage #1. Paul Dini doing what was, at one point, going to be a webcartoon in comic form. Stars a noir-y woman (is there such a thing as a heroic femme fatale?) who follows closely in the footsteps of the Shadow, but presumably with a real-world twist...

The Grendel Archive should be awesome, especially if the printing quality is as good as it was on the recent rerelease of "Devil by the Deed."

If you are looking for a single issue, I'd probably suggest Flash #13. Guggenheim has brought a whole new life to the titel and its set to jumpstart, presumably, the return of Wally West, if not Wally and Barry Allen. I know that isn't everyone's idea of a good time to though.

If you skip on that, you might want to take a chance on Madame Mirage #1. Paul Dini has been beyond amazing on Detective Comics in the last year and he seems really excited about this project. That alone sells me on at least giving it a whirl, but the art by Kenneth Rocafort is pretty sharp too.

Marvel Adventures Iron Man - It's just good comics.

I proclaim you must buy the Tick 20th Anniversary Special Edition--there's my vote!

There's also the Hero Squared tpb; haven't you been following that? Worth it?

While not necessarily recommending any of these (I don't know anything about their content, sorry if they're porn!), some of the titles this week make me really want to at least look through them: Knowledge Is Power The World Askew, Banya Explosive Delivery Man, Tower Of The Future, Books With Pictures, and Sammy The Mouse. Any one of these titles would make me pick it up and leaf through it. If you do 'Judging Books by Their Covers' (is that you? sorry), you should try 'Judging Books by Their Titles'.

@Greg: Good call on the Showcase!

And I'll second the Marvel Adventures: Avengers recommendation. The first two digests were, dare I say it, FUN reads, and are totally what so much of the blogiverse has claimed they want to see from the Big Two.

Once more, I recommend True Story, Swear to god. A nice real life read. Tom Beland is honestto the point of it possibly being painful to him, but hte story is a good one and you root for himand Lily.

Also, Shadowpact, one of my favorite titles - how cna you go wrong with Detective Chimp? A nice magic-based title with an ensemble cast of characterthat were never used as well as this before.

Now if we can only get a Team Thirteen comic going....

Dan - Hero Squared isn't great, but it's certainly a good comic. The trade is probably worth it if you can find it cheaper.

Lauren - I didn't realize you had recommended True Story Swear To God before, but I'll let you know that Tom Beland doesn't want me to read it, so I don't.

I'd recommend Sensational Spider-Man as it has been consistently good. Plus it features Eddie Brock and has art from the great Lee Weeks.

Also seeing as how you are getting Incredible Hulk, I would also recommend Iron Man #19 which is a WWH tie-in. Christos Gage is writing it and he nearly always delivers and it has art from Butch Guice.

Lets see. This week I'm getting: Spirit, X-Men:Endangered Species, and Countdown (because I'm stupid)

and the Stars and STRIPES trade.

Is Checkmate done with the Outsiders crossover? I'll get that too if it is.

Maybe Highwaymen as well.

Um. I'm not sure what to recommend to you...Go back two weeks and get All-New Atom. It was amazingness on top of freshly cut amazingness.

BRAVE AND THE BOLD #4 - How can you not buy this?

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #10 - If you're going to be buying Flash #13,
Scipio has a pretty solid theory that the Legionnaires are here in the present to resurrect Barry Allen. If that's the case, then how can you buy Flash #13 and miss THIS issue?

SPIDER-MAN FANTASTIC FOUR #3 - This out of continuity series has been exactly what you'd like to read in an in-continuity series.

ROBIN has been good stuff lately.

ANNIHILATION CONQUEST PROLOGUE - If you liked the rest of Annihilation.

HEROES FOR HIRE #11 - Tentacle Rape! Hahahaha!

And...
If you're into the whole World War Hulk thing (and I am, because I want to see HULK SMASH!), you might consider picking up Iron Man & Ghost Rider

Is somebody REALLY recommending you buy TSSTG??!!

I agree that ATOM "was amazingness on top of freshly cut amazingness".

Looks like people have forgotten to put down Conan # 41 as well as the 2nd or last Mark Bagley issue of Ultimate Spider-man # 110.

I would love to know what Adult Frankenstein is.

Barring that, Tales From the Crypt, or maybe that Weird World of Jack Staff thing. More expensive than the usual stuff, but nothing's jumping out at me that you aren't already buying.

I second (third? Fifth?) Flash #13. Guggenheim got me back to excited about this book (one of the few cases hearing Waid is comong onto something makes me a little sad). A lot of action, but smartly done.

Look... I am sure Flash #13 is going to be a big deal, so... yeah, you might want to get it.

That being said...

I read the Marvel Advance Preview copy of ANNIHILATION: CONQUEST PROLOGUE, and I really enjoyed it. It wasn't about what I expected it to be about, and I think it could shape up into something cool. Now, I did enjoy the first ANNIHILATION series, so... if you didn't, maybe it's not for you. BUT, I don't think you need to have read that to get this. I think it's got the information you need in there.

Dude, Jack Staff.

I'm surprised by all the votes for Flash - I've been on the edge of dropping this for a couple of months. I wanted to see if the new creative team was going to bring it up, but I am just not enjoying this book at all. Unless this issue actually does something cool, I'm done with it.

And that's the only thing on my list this week. So, I'd recommend getting either a Showcase or Essentials. I just read through Essential Silver Surfer #2, and it was pretty good.

Tyson, being that this is the last issue of Flash, I'd say you're done with it regardless of whether it does something cool or not!

No contest, it's the UNCLE SCROOGE ADV LAND PYGMY INDIANS WAR OF WENDIGO TP! It contains a classic Carl Barks story and its modern Don Rosa sequel. Two comics geniuses in a single book!

To be fair, anything by Barks or Rosa is worth buying...

Best,
Hunter (Pedro Bouça)

Gotta go with Pedro and choose Uncle Scrooge.

Geez. Big 'ol week for me.

Mome and New Tales of Old Palomar for sure.

I'll probably get the Barks/Rosa twofer now that I know it exists.

And I'm REALLY looking at the Atom Showcase book from a few weeks ago. Definitely my favorite of the Silver Age DC superhero titles.

Doesn't the second Blue Beetle Trade come out?

It's a lot stronger than the first and i know you've been picking it up lately.

I HIGHLY recommend TSSTG.

Greg... I'm so over it now. Serious. If you're in San Diego, look me up and I'll buy you a beer. Honest offer.

Tom - I would love to take you up on your offer, but I doubt if I will make it. Those darned children and all!

You write a book, you say? Maybe I'll have to check it out ...