Post-Crisis Comic Book Previews for 10/31/12

Hello and welcome to a very special round of Post-Crisis Comic Book Previews.  In honour of comic book day falling on Halloween this year, I'm happy to say that this week's previews will be what I like to call a "spooktacular", featuring such terrifying titles as Bedlam #1, B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth #100, Ghosts #1, and more!  So hit the jump to check out these books and more... if you dare!

AMERICAN VAMPIRE #32

Written by Scott Snyder

Art by Rafael Albuquerque

It's the penultimate chapter of 'The Blacklist.' After these events, things are going to be very bleak for our gal Pearl unless she can find some hope in an unlikely place. This one changes everything - we mean it! We're talking secrets so shocking we can't even reveal the real cover! 

Grant: Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque are creators that you can rely on.  Their work on American Vampire is continually some of the best in the business, and they've really managed to up the ante here in "The Blacklist".  Things have been getting a little dark for our main characters, and with two more issues to go in the storyline, I can't imagine things will be getting much cheerier before everything is said and done.  Fortunately, those kind of challenges make for some of the best drama, so I think these should be some pretty good reads.

BEDLAM #1

Written by Nick Spencer

Art by Riley Rossmo

Fillmore Press was once Madder Red, a homicidal maniac and criminal overlord who terrorized the town of Bedlam for years. Then he got better. This is what happens next. A double-sized introduction to a blood-soaked cityscape of murder, mayhem, and mystery by NICK SPENCER (MORNING GLORIES, THIEF OF THIEVES) and RILEY ROSSMO (REBEL BLOOD, GREEN WAKE)! 

Grant: There was a time when I felt that every single book with Nick Spencer's name on the cover was a must buy.  I'm not quite at that point anymore, but I do still try to at least try Spencer's creator owned work. It also helps that Riley Rossmo is on art, and more often than not, I will buy anything that he works on.  So this book looks to be quite the potent combination.  Bedlam kind of snuck up on me, but I'm pretty darned excited for the whole thing.  And as a double-sized issue, that means you'll get 48 pages of content for only $3.50, which is amazing value for your money.  (It's also worth noting that "Madder Red" is a terrific name for a supervillain.)

B.P.R.D. HELL ON EARTH #100

Written by Mike Mignola & John Arcudi

Art by Tyler Crook

A special B.P.R.D. task force reach the stronghold of a mad Russian scientist and his cult of followers only to find themselves trapped in a deadly fortress full of horrific black magic.

* The Bureau faces the ultimate foe!

* Celebrating B.P.R.D.'s 100th issue!

Grant: It's hard not to get excited about the one hundredth issue of B.P.R.D.  Hellboy has long been one of the best ongoing comics out there, and the B.P.R.D. spin-off series has often been just as good, if not better.  It's great to see all that hard work and effort being rewarded with hitting the one hundred issue plateau, which is fun and amazing any way you look at it.  I've been a little on and off with this series of late, but I'll be there for this one.

CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL 2012 #5

Written by Various

Art by Various

A COMIC BOOK LEGAL DEFENSE FUND BENEFIT BOOK! 'IT'S GOOD TO BE FREE!'

CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL returns for, Image Publisher ERIC STEPHENSON gathers an all-star line-up of writers and artists to battle censorship with 48 ALL-NEW stories highlighting the benefits of freedom! All proceeds from this book benefit the important First Amendment work of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, who've been fighting censorship in comics for over 25 years! All proceeds from CBLDF Liberty Annual 2011 will benefit the important First Amendment legal work of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of the First Amendment rights of the comics art form and its community of retailers, creators, publishers, librarians and readers.

Story: ANDY DIGGLE, WARREN ELLIS, CHRIS GIARRUSSO, KIERON GILLEN, BRANDON GRAHAM, JONATHAN HICKMAN, DAVID HINE, JOE KEATINGE, ROBERT KIRKMAN, JIM McCANN, TERRY MOORE, CHRIS ROBERSON, JAMES ROBINSON, JONATHAN ROSS, RICHARD STARKINGS & ERIC STEPHENSON

Art: CHARLIE ADLARD, MIKE ALLRED, NATE BELLEGARDE, J. BONE, DOUG BRAITHWAITE, MITCH BREITWEISER, IAN CHURCHILL, CHRIS GIARRUSSO, BRANDON GRAHAM, PHIL JIMENEZ, JONATHAN HICKMAN, ROGER LANGRIDGE, JOHN PAUL LEON, JAMIE McKELVIE, TERRY MOORE & BEN TEMPLESMITH

Grant: The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Benefit Books are always a fun time.  You get a slew of short stories by some of the best creators going and you get to support legal work to defend comic book creators.  An anthology comic whose proceeds go to a good cause?  I can't really think of how this could be a better time.

FREELANCERS #1

Written by Ian Brill

Art by Josh Covey

Val and Cassie are two women trying to make it in L.A who just happened to grow up in a Kung Fu Orphanage, and now make their way in an ultra-competitive world of bounty hunting . They've watched each others' backs since they could stand, and those bonds are tested daily as they navigate a city where loyalty usually only runs as deep as one's bank account. Val and Cassie take the most dangerous jobs, and watch as others bask in the glory. But now, as their former mentor becomes L.A.'s most wanted fugitive, Val and Cassie will fight through L.A.'s glitziest and grimiest hoods as they learn just what sacrifices are necessary to make Hollywood dreams come true.

Rising star scribe Ian Brill (DARKWING DUCK) and red-hot newcomer Joshua Covey team up for this raucous series full of wild nights, beautiful dreamers, and knock-down brawls in between trips to the newest food trucks.

Grant: I don't really know what this book will be about, but I'm always game for trying out new books, and this one has caught my eye.  I've been hearing a bit of buzz here and there, but I haven't seen much from either member of the creative team, so I'm coming into this one pretty blind, which is actually kind of a nice feeling.  Here's hoping I get to be pleasantly surprised.

GHOSTS #1

Written by Geoff Johns, Joe Kubert, Gilbert Hernandez, Paul Pope, Cecil Castellucci, Mary H.K. Choi, Al Ewing & Neil Kleid
Art by Rufus Dayglo, Gilbert Hernandez, Phil Jimenez, Joe Kubert, Jeff Lemire, John McCrea & Amy Reeder

Check out this all-new anthology from some of the biggest talents in the industry! Stories spotlight a space heist on a ghost ship, a spirit who wants to play synthesizer in a techno band, a ghost-for-hire haunting agency and others dark, twisted tales.

With stories and art by some of comics' greatest talents, this special features a cover by Dave Johnson, and a variant cover by Brendan McCarthy! 

Grant: Uh, have I already mentioned how I dig anthologies?  And how I'm down with reading stuff by talented creators?  It's really just icing on the cake that this bad boy is a Halloween themed tome.  I think this will be a scary good time.

HAPPY #2

Written by Grant Morrison

Art by Darick Robertson

Trapped in a mob hospital at the mercy of the cold-eyed torture expert Smoothie and his team of dedicated sadists, the only hope for Nick Sax is Happy the Horse! With three days to Black Christmas, can our unlikely duo stay together long enough to stop Pedo-Santa's rampage? 

Grant: The first issue of Grant Morrison and Darick Robertson's Happy was quite the experience.  This book is incredibly violent, crude, and generally over the top in most every way you can think of, but it also features a dumb-looking talking blue horse claiming to be the imaginary friend of a girl in distress who can only be seen by our alpha male lead character.  It's a really weird premise, but it actually worked pretty well.  I don't rightly know what Morrison and Robertson have in store, but I'm eager to find out.  The best part is that, on this release schedule, the final issue of Happy will drop right around Christmas, which will make that aspect of the story eerily appropriate.

JOE KUBERT PRESENTS #1

Written and Illustrated by Joe Kubert, Brian Buniak & Sam Glanzman

Don't miss the start of this far-ranging collection of stories from comics legend Joe Kubert and other great talents!

This debut issue includes: Joe Kubert writes and illustrates two stories: A new Hawkman epic, and a tale of hard times called 'Spit.'

A tale of Angel and The Ape from writer/artist Brian Buniak.

Plus: Writer/artist Sam Glanzman returns to comics with a new tale of the U.S.S. Stevens! 

Grant: It's unfortunate timing that Joe Kubert passed away shortly after this book was announced, but it's also impressive that the man was able to work on comics for so much of his lifetime.  I'm really excited to see what kind of things he and his collaborators got up to in Joe Kubert Presents #1.  And we're lucky enough to have a few more issues of this featuring Kubert's work coming down the line.  Can't wait.

So was that sufficiently horrifying?  No?  Oh, well I'm sorry to hear that.  I hope picking up some awesome comics tomorrow will take some of the edge off that disappointment.  I'll try to do better next year.

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