7.13.11 Releases

Northlanders #42 (DC/Vertigo) takes the top spot this week for what I’m looking forward to. It’s the beginning of the end, as Brian Wood and Paul Azaceta begin the first part of The Icelandic Trilogy, which will put the book to bed at Vertigo. It sounds big and bold, so I can’t wait to see what the creative team has in store. Coming in at a close second is Red Wing #1 (Image) by Jonathan Hickman. I much prefer Hickman’s high concept indie projects (The Nightly News, Pax Romana, etc.) to his work-for-hire superhero stuff, so I’m excited to see somewhat of a return to form. Hickman’s work isn’t always without flaw, but I am always very interested to read his take on his creations. Try as I might to shake the event stank off, I’m a sucker for the sum of something like X-Men: Schism #1 (Marvel) when you examine the parts. I have a childhood affinity for the characters, and when you throw in Jason Aaron writing, along with artists like Carlos Pacheco and (soon) Adam Kubert, Alan Davis, and even Frank Cho, it’s probably something I’ll be picking up at least the first issue of. That’s probably it for definite purchases, but there were also some noteworthy items this week, such as American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest #2 (DC/Vertigo). I’m still tired of vampires, but you can’t get much better than Sean Murphy’s art. 100 Penny Press offers up Wormwood: Gentlemen Corpse #1 (100 Penny Press), which I already own in hardcover. But, if for some reason you’re not aware of it, please pick this up! It’s only a buck, and it’s one of the funniest books around. Terry Moore’s How to Draw Women #1 (Abstract Studio) makes a surprise debut. This is his quarterly “how to” book, or is it just a bunch of pretty pin-ups? I’m curious to find out. Lastly, I’m still feeling a glut of noir-y crime books out there in the wake of, say, 100 Bullets, and it'll be hard for anyone to top Kody Chamberlain on Sweets in my mind, but Loose Ends #1 (12 Gauge Comics) looks interesting. It’s got Jason Latour and Rico Renzi, and is billed as a “southern crime romance.” I don’t remember the last time I listed so many books in one of these posts. If I were to buy even half of what’s listed here, it would be a huge week for me.