June 2012 Alternate Comics Diamond Previews Review part 1
Time to look at Dark Horse Comics, IDW, Image, and Dynamite, and see what they are offering us in August. Dark Horse Comics is first on the slate.
Dark Horse pick of the month! Jill Thompson and Evan Dorkin bring us the three stories that they did for Dark Horse Presents – Beasts of Burden: Neighborhood Watch! That tell the story of a gang of dogs and one cat who deal with the supernatural and the downright scary. These characters earned them the 2005 Eisner Award for Best Short Story. I love Jill Thompson and with her recent issue of Shade it has left me wanting more from her, and this will help with that Thompson fix. Plus I love animals so this is a must have, I kinda wish this would be a monthly.
Michael Avon Oeming‘s The Victories brings a book written and drawn by Oeming. I have been waiting for a book where he can showcase both writing and art. The Victories is a dark take on superheroes (my favorite) with fluid artwork that promises to enhance what is sure to be a dark story of a hero who has to decide if his past will destroy him or make him fight on.
One of my favorite video game franchises is launching a new three issue mini-series. Dragon Age: Those Who Speak #1 is out in August, and it is written by David Gaider, the lead writer of Dragon Age: Origins, and Dragon Age II, and is in Dragon Age continuity. It tells the story of a king who must go up against an army of evil mages to try and find out what happened to his lost father. If you are a fan of the mythos of Dragon Age this is a must buy!
IDW brings us more zombies and the IDW pick of the month! Deadworld is back with Deadworld: War of the Dead, a five part, weekly series. Gary Reed, the original co-creator of Deadworld brings us a horrific tale of zombies, survival, and experiments gone very, very wrong. Meet the Lepers, their skin is dead but they still live, and may be the secret weapon to bring down King Zombie and his army of the undead. Just when you think the zombie genre is dead (bad pun completely intended) along comes a little twist to bring new unlife to the genre.
I love the G.I. Joe cartoon from the 80’s and that love is about to be rekindled with the G.I. Joe: Field Manual. It is 208 pages of animation models for the characters and vehicles from the series. It includes several pages of never-before-published production artwork and behind-the-scenes production artwork that helped make G.I. Joe so memorable for anyone that grew up with, and loved the original television series.
Matt Hawkins, who has worked on almost everything at Image Comics brings a new story – Think Tank – that brings Tony Stark to mind. It tells the story of a genius inventor who works for a military think tank and decides he has had enough. Can he get away from the images of mass murder that his inventions have caused or will be manipulated by those who he wants to escape from? I intend to check this out!
These are tied for Image Comics Pick of the Month. Prophet, Vol.1: Remission and Glory, Vol. 1: The Once and Future Destroyer TPB’s are both going home with me in August. I decided that I wanted to start switching to a TPB collection and had to resist getting the separate issues of these series. From what I have read from both of these respective series they would seem to read better as a trade. Either way I am greatly looking forward to both of these highly regarded re-envisionings.
Kirby: Genesis was a Dynamite series I originally started to buy in single issues but found that it was quite dense and decided, even though I was jonesing for a monthly fix, that a trade would read better. In August the 220+ page TP Kirby: Genesis Vol. 1 will give me a solid afternoon of reading and enjoying the lush designs and the Kirby style that defined multiple generations of comic book fandom. This is my Dynamite Comics Pick of the Month.
The Gutters Absolute Complete Omnibus Vol. 2 HC A 136 page hardcover, Tim Sale graces the cover of this collection that pokes fun at comic books, the creators, the characters, the publishers, and fans. All are poked fun at, and I love funny. The book is mistakenly listed in the Previews at 3.99 – actual price is 39.95.
That covers part three of my Previews Review, part four, and the back of Previews are coming soon!
Dark Horse Comics
Axe Cop: President of the World
Dragon Age: For Those Who Speak
Fatima: The Blood Spinners
The Massive
Beasts of Burden: Neighborhood Watch
Star Wars Omnibus: Clone Wars – Volumes 1 and 2
IDW Comics
Deadworld: War of the Dead
Mars Attacks
Transformers: Regeneration One
Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Sun: Ianto’s Tomb
G.I. Joe: Field Manual
Image Comics
Creator Owned Heroes
Saga
Think Tank
Glory, Vol. 1: The Once and Future Destroyer TPB
Prophet, Vol.1: Remission TPB
Dynamite Comics
Kirby: Genesis Vol. 1 TP