Coming This Week: "Faster, Cheaper, Better. Pick Any Two"

The comic on most people’s minds this week is probably Scott Pilgrim: Volume 06: Finest Hour (Oni Press), but it’s something I could never really get into. I read the first two or three volumes that were comp’d to me from Oni Press, but it just didn’t click. Is it because I’m a Gen X’er and not Gen Y’er? I don’t know, but I will admit that the HUMONGOUS advertisement banner I saw slapped across the Hilton Bayfront as I attended a recent Padres game, next to the San Diego Convention Center, is pretty cool. For me this week, the treat is probably DV8: Gods & Monsters #4 (DC/Wildstorm), which is turning out to be Brian Wood’s little manifesto on the inherent danger and flawed paradigm of superpowered beings existing in reality, but here specifically juxtaposed against primitive civilizations, which adds a crystalline clarity of thought to his exploratory logic. In the “pigs are still flying” department, which began last week with the release of the Absolute Planetary HC: Book 02, we have Jonathan Hickman’s Red Mass for Mars #4 (Image), the four issue mini-series that is apparently finally wrapping nearly two years later (last seen in October of 2008). I’ve decided to give all of the new core Avengers books a three issue trial run, so progress is being made with Avengers #3 (Marvel) and New Avengers #2 (Marvel) hitting the shelves the same week. It’s clear to me that Secret Avengers is least likely to succeed, with regular Avengers surely being the purdiest thanks to Romita Jr., but New Avengers seemingly the best all around, standing the best shot at surviving the process. It’s goofy to me that they can’t get the third issue out, but there’s always time to do a second printing alternate cover for SHIELD #2 (Marvel). The Rasl Pocket Edition: Volume 01 (Cartoon Books) could be interesting, as could the Evanovich (who?) book Troublemaker HC: Book 01 (Dark Horse), which piques my interest because of the Joelle Jones art.