Coming This Week: "My Drop Top's In The Parking Lot"

Vertigo is doing it right this week, releasing two sure fire hits with Northlanders #28 (DC/Vertigo) and Scalped #38 (DC/Vertigo). Brian Wood delivers the final issue of The Plague Widow arc, while Jason Aaron brings the Vietnam flashback issue, which promises insight considering his first breakout book. Both still priced at only $2.99, I might add. Also out from the Distinguished Competition is Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #2 (DC), which is kinda’ cool considering I hadn’t remembered this was going to be a bi-weekly affair. This one is another 40 pager for $3.99, with sometimes Grant Morrison collaborator, Frazer Irving on art. If nothing else, it will look terrific. The Wednesday Comics HC (DC) also makes its way to the shelves, clocking in at $49.99. I know it’s an oversized hardcover and all, but I swear I remember this being originally advertised at the $39.99 price point. It seems like a big mental jump for me. $39.99? Well shoot, it’s only two 20’s, those things are practically disposable once they get spit outta’ the ATM. But, $49.99? Dang, that’s half a Benjamin already! That just sounds expensive. This might be the type of thing I wait to find at the con for 30% off or something. Or, I guess I can still hold out hope that *just* the Paul Pope strip will be collected all by itself, since that’s all I’m really interested in owning anyway. I mean, sure, the Ryan Sook and Kyle Baker Kamandi and Hawkman are nice respectively, but not essential by any means.

Secret Avengers #1 (Marvel) marks the second of the “main” Avengers relaunch titles, this one by Ed Brubaker and Mike Deodato. This will sound like blasphemy, but I’ve never been a huge Brubaker fan, and Deodato has his good and bad days, but I really enjoyed the first of the relaunch titles, so if that’s any sort of a line-wide quality indicator, heck, I’ll try the first issue at least. Dazzler #1 (Marvel) is also out from Jim McCann and Kalman Andrasofszky, and all I have to say is: Really? Why? I'm excited to see X-Men Origins: Emma Frost #1 (Marvel) finally out. This one-shot is by Valerie D'Orazio and Karl Moline. I read on Val's blog that she knows certain parts are going to be controversial, so that should be entertaining. I really enjoyed her Punisher MAX: Butterfly one-shot, which should go down as one of the highlights of the year, but I sincerely hope that if I buy it, and if I give it a positive review, I don't get visited by the Jersey Troll again. While that was certainly good for hits, I'm just not in the mood to match wits with an aggressive buffoon. I see that Captain Swing & The Electrical Pirates of Cindery Island #1: MEGACON EDITION (Avatar Press) is also out. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m sorta’ weary of Avatar putting out, literally, seven different cover variants and con editions of a book that’s already come out last February, but they can’t seem to ship the second issue of a four issue mini-series, despite its original solicit date of March 2010. Boo! If you’re a Yoshihiro Tatsumi fan and somehow managed to miss it the first time around, there’s a new printing of the Good-Bye HC (Fantagraphics) out this week also. That’s good stuff, for only $24.95. The last thing that caught my eye was the Best American Comics Criticism SC (Fantagraphics). It’s only $19.99 for 360 pages. This thing seems to attempt a pretty wide swath of mainstreamy press, but the only real draw for me was seeing Doug Wolk as one of the contributors. Other than that, man, this sure turned into a little cottage industry since the Dave Eggers days, just slap a “Best Of” on a collection of something, intrinsically appealing to most consumers as “American,” and you’re off to a bestseller list.