7.11.12 Releases

“Once More Unto The Breach, Dear Friends.” That means it’s time for San Diego Comic-Con this week, so regular reviews will probably be late to non-existent. But, be sure to follow me @thirteenminutes to get micro-reviews in lieu of the full length variety. In any case, here are the books I’d spend my money on this week. First up, it’s the new Brian Wood hotness with The Massive #2 (Dark Horse). Here’s a little secret, I’ve read the issue and things really pick up fast, so be sure to jump on board this title if you haven’t already. It’s one of those weeks where Brian has a little something to offer everyone, so if a reinterpretation of the REH classic is more your speed, you’ll need to grab Conan The Barbarian #6 (Dark Horse) at your LCS. If Marvel’s Mutants are what's up your alley, you can always try Ultimate Comics: X-Men #14 (Marvel), which kicks off the Ultimate Crossover Event “Divided We Fall” with Wood co-helming the melee. With nearly everything I was reading wrapped at the imprint, Vertigo will try to hold onto some of my personal market-share with Saucer Country #5 (DC/Vertigo). This is the last issue of the first arc, so I’ll be buying, reading, then re-reading the entire first chunk to see if I’ll be sticking with the title long term. I’ll probably also try Punk Rock Jesus #1 (DC/Vertigo). If nothing else, it will surely be worth it for the Sean Murphy art, and hey, let’s see if the dude can write. There’s a chance I might check out Bloodshot #1 (Valiant), even though the other number one issues have been severely underwhelming. Lastly, for just $1, I might be compelled to check out Sunset: First Look One-Shot (Image) from Christos Gage, a writer I usually kinda’ like, if it passes the flip test at the LCS. On the collected edition front, I recommend Casanova: Avaritia TPB (Marvel/Icon), collecting the recently wrapped series from Matt Fraction and Gabriel Ba, as well as Locke & Key Volume 5: Clockworks HC (IDW), which is, I believe, the penultimate installment of this series.