Post-Crisis Comic Book Previews for 03/06/13

Hello and welcome to another round of Post-Crisis Comic Book Previews!  We've got some dandy books rolling out this Wednesday, including Hellheim #1, Sex #1, Glory #33, and lots more.  So hit the jump and check 'em all out!

Major Releases

AGE OF ULTRON #1

Written by Brian Michael Bendis

Art by Bryan Hitch

For years the heroes of the Marvel Universe have lived in fear that the artificial intelligence known as Ultron would one day evolve to fulfill its desire to wipe out all organic life and take over the Earth -- that day has arrived.

This massive 10-part Marvel Universe-spanning event is brought to you by Eisner award-winning writer Brian Michael Bendis and comics legend Bryan Hitch.

Grant: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Marvel's next event, The Age of Ultron. If your life has been missing a super powerful robot who can seemingly beat pretty much everyone, then this series is for you. As an added bonus, if you're not keen to wait an entire month between issues, like you would for most comics, Age of Ultron is coming out on a trimonthly basis. That's right, there will be three issues of this book coming out almost every month, so the story, which would normally be over in ten months, should be done in less than four, so following this will actually be like buying three new monthly books for three months. And if that's not enough to sway you, this also means that there will be nothing even close to resembling a continuous art team, as they'll switch artists up constantly just to make sure they can meet shipping deadlines.  All for the low, low price of $3.99 an issue!  Isn't that great?

GREEN ARROW #18

Written by Jeff Lemire

Art by Andrea Sorrentino

• Oliver Queen has lost everything: His company, his money, his friends and most of his arrows. It’s all because of one man: Komodo, who has come to tear Ollie’s life to shreds!

• From the ashes, Ollie must uncover the secrets of his father’s past — secrets of the island and Ollie’s own uncanny ability with the bow.

Grant: Jeff Lemire's fledgling run on Green Arrow continues this month, giving us the opportunity to learn more about the trouble that Oliver Queen seems to have gotten himself into. The first issue last month really took Ollie back to basics, cutting out most of the stuff that had been built up in his life since the New 52 and hinting at a secret backstory that he's never truly known. It'll be interesting to see how long that mystery stands and whether Lemire will be able to pay it off in a satisfying manner. Fortunately, we'll have the fantastic art of Andrea Sorrentino to entertain us in the interim. He nailed it last issue, delivering a beautiful book that did an excellent job of highlighting key moments through its clever colour scheme.

HELLBOY IN HELL #4

Written by Mike Mignola

Art by Mike Mignola

After a bizarre family reunion, Hellboy can barely process the new information, and the things he's done, since arriving in Hell. But Mike Mignola has one more revelation before concluding this initial monthly run of the story we've been building to since 1994 . . .

Grant: Mike Mignola's new Hellboy in Hell has been a wonderful return. Mignola's writing is as sharp as ever, and seeing his art on a regular basis is a true joy. It's also been cool to see how Dave Stewart's colour schemes have changed in response to the relocation of our horned hero. Having Mignola on art is awesome, and the only regret I have is that this will be the last issue of that for the immediate future, as Hellboy in Hell will be going on sabbatical for to give Mignola time to get ahead on the next batch of story. That wait will be long, but considering what we've gotten thus far, it'll be worth it.

New Kids on the Block

HELLHEIM #1
Written by Cullen Bunn
Art by Joelle Jones

A NEW SERIES FROM SIXTH GUN WRITER CULLEN BUNN AND FAN FAVORITE ARTIST JOËLLE JONES!

'Once the threshold of Helheim is crossed, not even gods can escape.'

During the age of the Vikings, savage wild men and dark creatures beset a small settlement. A brave war party stands as guardians of the helpless villagers, but they are no match for the horrors rising up around them. One of the warriors, a young hero named Rikard, will pay the ultimate price in battle. . . but his fight is far from over.

A gothic horror story of witchcraft, night creatures, and the undead.

Grant: I honestly don't know all that much about this new series, but I gotta say that this solicit and cover look pretty enticing.  If I'm not careful, I just might have to pick this up when I'm at my shop on Wednesday. I mean, what's not to love when you mix up all those various fun things like witches, monsters, and zombies? Sounds like a winning combination in my books.

LOST VEGAS #1

Written by Jim McCann

Art by Janet Lee

The EISNER AWARD-WINNING team of Jim McCann & Janet Lee reunite to create a universe filled with intrigue as one gambler-turned-slave has 24 hours to go all in and pull off the greatest heist the universe has seen.

WELCOME TO LOST VEGAS! 

Aboard this luxurious casino-filled traveling space-station you will find the highest stakes games from every corner of every planet, unheard-of winnings, and the greatest attractions anywhere!*

*the fine print- those who bet it all and lose must work it off as indentured servants to the casino. Escape is not possible. No one is exempt from these rules.

Grant: Is it too embarrassing to admit that I didn't realize that this book's title was Lost Vegas until sitting down to write the previews this week? I just kept reading it as “Los”, but now that I see what it actually is, everything feels like it makes a lot more sense. Jim McCann and Janet Lee look to be telling one strange little story here, mixing in elements of heists and prison breaks in a big ol' sci fi setting. It'll be interesting to see how it all comes together.

SEX #1

Written by Joe Casey

Art by Piotr Kowalski

FIRST ISSUE – COLLECTOR’S ITEM! Finally, a good reason for you come in the comicbook store — to buy SEX! Simon Cooke has retired from his own “alternative lifestyle” and returned to the city he’d previously sworn to protect. Now he’s just another average citizen — or is he? The term “adult” has never been so appropriate as it is when it applies to SEX.

Grant: Image has put a good portion of their marketing force behind Joe Casey and Piotr Kowalski's attention-grabbing new series Sex. The particulars of what this book will be about, beyond mixing sexuality and superheroes remains a little unclear in spite (or perhaps, because of) said marketing, but that it will be addressing these two subjects in concert is reason enough to give this miniseries a gander. It's a combination that's rarely looked at with any seriousness by comic books themselves, and it looks like the talent involved will be up to the task of examining it all.

You May Have Missed

ADVENTURE TIME WITH FIONNA AND CAKE #3

Written by Natasha Allegri

Art by Natasha Allegri

ADVENTURE TIME'S FIONNA AND CAKE'S TOTALLY MATH ADVENTURE CONTINUES IN THIS FAN-FAVORITE SERIES!

Don't miss this popular mini-series, written and drawn by FIONNA AND CAKE creator and ADVENTURE TIME storyboard artist Natasha Allegri! THE HOTTEST SERIES OF 2013!

Grant: Natasha Allegri's take on the gender-swapped Adventure Time characters has been an absolute joy. While this is her first comic from one of the bigger publishers, her storytelling instincts are finely honed. They're also all about telling some of the cutest and most adorable tales you ever did see. Allegri's comic booking will warm the cockles of your heart through the beautiful imagery and endearing writing. The cherry on top of all this wonderful work is Britt Wilson's imaginative lettering, which gives the book a look all it's own, setting it apart even further.

BEDLAM #5 

Written by Nick Spencer

Art by Riley Rossmo

"A great weeping."

Grant: Nick Spencer and Riley Rossmo's Bedlam continues to barrel ahead at full tilt, treating its readers to the present-day attempts by the police department and their newfound “consultant” interspliced with flashback scenes featuring the reprogramming of the damnable Madder Red. This book wears its creepiness on its sleeve, and while it has been playing its cards close to the chest, the details we've uncovered thus far have been enough to keep my curiosity sated for the moment.

GLORY #33
Written by Joe Keatinge
Art by Ross Campbell

The penultimate issue of ROSS CAMPBELL and JOE KEATINGE 's GLORY saga ties threads together from its very beginning amidst the most brutal war Glory has ever fought. Destinies will be realized. Lives will be destroyed. The end begins here. 

Grant: Last issue's of interrelated short stories was all about the calm before the storm, leaving Glory #33 to focus its energy on that big ol' battle that we've been building towards since Joe Keatinge and Ross Campbell restarted this title last year. Seeing as it's the penultimate issue, this probably won't be the most new reader friendly, but considering the work we've gotten in previous issues of the series, this will likely be on hell of a story.

WINTER SOLDIER #16

Written by Jason Latour

Art by Nic Klein

• Writer Jason Latour (Loose Ends, Wolverine) and artist Nic Klein (Dancer, Viking, Doc Savage) begin the second chapter of The Winter Soldier’s newest deadly mission.

• With only the enigmatic Robards at his side, Bucky wades into his dark past, visiting a treacherous school for young assassins…The Orphanage.

• And just who is The Electric Ghost?

Grant: While I had grown tired of Ed Brubaker's Winter Soldier run, I came back on board to take a peek at Jason Latour and Nic Klein's first issue last month. I'm mighty glad I did, because Nic Klein's art was a real treat. There was a fluidity and liveliness to his pages that really grabbed me, and I'm eager to get my hands on more. I wasn't quite as taken by Latour's story, but with the quality of Klein's art, I'm willing to wait a few issues to see how it develops.

The Balance

ANIMAL MAN #18

Written by Jeff Lemire

Art by Steve Pugh

• “ROTWORLD” epilogue!

• The horrible tragedy of ROTWORLD weighs heavily on the Baker family.

• Nothing will be the same for Animal Man after this issue!

Grant: I'm still smarting from last month's non-conclusion of the Rot World storyline. It was quite disappointing to read through Animal Man #17 and Swamp Thing #17, the two books that were advertised as the end of this overlong arc, only to discover that the story is actually ending in the epilogue issues this month. I'm sorry to burst your bubble, DC, but epilogue and conclusion are not synonymous. The only way this could get more annoying is if Rotworld somehow doesn't end here either.

FASHION BEAST #7
Written by Alan Moore, Malcolm McLaren & Antony Johnston
Art by Facundo Percio

The stars in the sky are hidden by the fallout of a post-industrial nightmare world. But Doll has become a star herself with everything she has always wanted. Yet the complex web of mystery around the Patron, Celestine, begins to unravel her tightly guarded dreams. 

Grant: Fashion Beast remains an enigma in my pull list. It's undeniably enjoyable and interesting, but I still struggle to really put my finger on what this book is about. There's the fears of nuclear holocaust that bubble under the surface, the use of fashion as metaphor, and the many odd characters we've met and interact with on a regular basis, but it hasn't quite coalesced into a coherent whole as of yet. Part of me wonders if that will ever truly happen. So while the destination is as unclear as ever, I will happily continue to enjoy the journey.

PLANET OF THE APES: CATACLYSM #7

Written by Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman

Art by Damian Couceiro

Deep in the caves near the Forbidden Zone, Milo, Vitus, and Cornelius find themselves cut off from the rest of their party, and face the grim task of fending for themselves with no help or hope of rescue! 

Grant: Corinna Bechko, Gabriel Hardman, and Damian Couceiro know what they're doing when it comes to The Planet of the Apes. My only experience with the franchise is these comic books from Boom!, and they've been great. The story has been compelling and engaging, and the art has matched it page for page. Eqaul parts political thriller and science fiction adventure, there's a lot to like in this series.

MARA #3
Written by Brain Wood
Art by Ming Doyle

Seeing her friends and supporters abandon her, and instead of trying to suppress her newfound powers, Mara goes public. Openly displaying her rapidly developing abilities, she challenges the bias and discrimination. People start to see her as not a freak, but rather someone who can't be stopped, and that starts to make a lot of very serious people very concerned. Socially-aware superheroics in a world we've never seen.

Brian Wood, Ming Doyle, and Jordie Bellaire bring the goods.

Grant: Brian Wood, Ming Doyle, and Jordie Bellaire's Mara hasn't been quick to decide what kind of story it is, and it's getting to be a bit of a problem. Is it a story about sport and competition and how those concepts can be perverted for monetary gain? Is it a story about dystopian futures where style is far and above more important than substance? Is it a story about a young girl dealing with the onset of amazing powers that no one quite understands? There's a heck of a lot going on in this book but it feels like the creative team hasn't quite decided what to do with it all. Hopefully they get their act together sooner rather than later.

SWAMP THING #18

Written by Scott Snyder

Art by Yanick Paquette

• Don’t miss the heartbreaking epilogue to “ROTWORLD.”

• Swamp Thing makes the ultimate sacrifice in an attempt save the world from the Rot!

• This issue marks the end of life as Swamp Thing knows it!

Grant: Is there anymore for me to bellyache about when it comes to this series? DC, Scott Snyder, and Jeff Lemire have been jerking us around quite a bit it seems, taking what was originally a neat idea and marring it in decompression and an over reliance on tie-ins between the two books. I'll be quite glad to see the end of Rotworld.

Pick of the Week

There's lots of books to get worked up about, but there's none than I'm more eager to see than the latest issue of Adventure Time with Fionna & Cake.  That series has been so much fun that it isn't even fair, and I can't wait to see what Natasha Allegri does in issue #3.

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