IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for September 14 2011

IDW PUBLISHING

JUL110367 ANNE RICE SERVANT OF THE BONES #2 (OF 6) $3.99

MAR110489 BARKS BEAR BOOK HC $34.99

JUL110361 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS DRIZZT #2 (OF 5) $3.99

JUL110338 GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO #170 $3.99

JUL110373 JURASSIC PARK DANGEROUS GAMES #1 (OF 5) $3.99

JUL110345 TRANSFORMERS ONGOING TP VOL 04 $17.99

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for September 14 2011

DARK HORSE COMICS

APR110042 ARCHIE ARCHIVES HC VOL 02 $49.99

JUL110026 BALTIMORE CURSE BELLS #2 $3.50

MAY110052 BLOOD BLOCKADE BATTLEFRONT TP VOL 01 $10.99

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JUL110017 BTVS SEASON 9 FREEFALL #1 MORRIS CVR $2.99

MAY110044 COMPLETE MAJOR BUMMER SUPER SLACKTACULAR TP $29.99

JUL110022 CRIMINAL MACABRE NO PEACE FOR DEAD MEN (ONE SHOT) $3.99

MAR110018 DOCTOR SOLAR MAN OF ATOM #8 $3.50

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JUL110046 STAR WARS OLD REPUBLIC #4 (OF 5) LOST SUNS $3.50

NOV100037 TUROK SON OF STONE #3 $3.50

Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for September 14 2011

IMAGE COMICS

JUL110437 27 SECOND SET #1 (OF 4) $3.99

JAN110655 ARTIFACTS #2 (OF 13) NYCC VAR CVR SGN ED $19.99

APR110494 ARTIFACTS #5 (OF 13) TOP COW STORE B&W VAR CVR $10.00

JUL110455 BLUE ESTATE TP VOL 01 (MR) $12.99

MAY110445 BREED COL VOL 02 BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES S&N HC (MR) $59.99

JUL110459 CARBON GREY VOL 01 SISTERS AT WAR TP $9.99

JUN110517 DIGITAL ART TUTORIALS ADVANCED DIGITAL INKING CDROM VOL 01 $29.99

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JUL110523 GLADSTONES SCHOOL FOR WORLD CONQUERORS #5 $2.99

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JUL110528 INFINITE #2 $2.99

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JUL110470 MORIARTY TP VOL 01 $14.99

JUN110513 PHERONE TP (MR) $14.99

JUL110432 PIGS #1 $2.99

JUN118186 SEVERED #1 (OF 7) VAR CVR 2ND PTG (MR) $2.99

JUL110544 SEVERED #2 (MR) $2.99

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MAY110532 SUPER DINOSAUR #4 $2.99

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Comics and Magazines from Diamond Distributors for September 14 2011

COMICS

JUN110961 3D MAJOR ARCANA PRINT BY DENIS KITCHEN $10.00

JUL111123 AMULET SC VOL 04 LAST COUNCIL $10.99

JUL110837 ARCHIE THE MARRIED LIFE TP VOL 01 $19.99

JUN110822 AWAKENINGS GN $19.95

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JUL111236 BENJAMIN BEAR IN FUZZY THINKING HC $12.95

JUN110843 BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #194 $3.99

JUL111217 BONNIE LASS #1 (OF 4) $2.99

MAY110793 CAVEWOMAN ALL NATURAL PINUP ONE SHOT $3.75

JUL110791 CAVEWOMAN SNOW #3 BUDD ROOT SE (MR) PI

MAY110797 CHICKEN FIGHTER PKT MANGA VOL 01 $14.95

MAY111190 CLINT #10 (MR) $6.99

JUN110887 CROSSED HC SGN ED VOL 02 FAMILY VALUES (MR) $34.99

JUN110886 CROSSED HC VOL 02 FAMILY VALUES (MR) $27.99

JUN110885 CROSSED TP VOL 02 FAMILY VALUES (MR) $19.99

MAY100779 DELLEC #6 (OF 6) CVR A MICAH GUNNELL (RES) $2.50

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MAY111068 DF MARVELOUS 50TH ANN SUMMER SET $50.00

MAY111065 DF TRUE BLOOD TAINTED #6 CAMPBELL EXC CVR $14.99

JUN110782 DISCORD GN $17.99

JUL111221 DRIVER FOR THE DEAD TP VOL 01 (RES) (MR) $14.95

JUN110968 DUCKTALES #4 $3.99

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JUL110935 FARSCAPE #23 $3.99

JUL111320 FLY #4 A CVR KIRKHAM (MR) $2.99

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JAN111130 GREEN HORNET YEAR ONE #12 $3.99

MAY110923 HELLRAISER #5 (MR) $3.99

JUN110844 JUGHEAD #209 $2.99

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JUN110847 LIFE WITH ARCHIE #13 $3.99

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MAY111179 MOON GIRL #4 (OF 5) $3.50

MAY110867 NIGHT O/T LIVING DEAD DEATH VALLEY #4 (OF 5) (MR) $3.99

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JUL111271 ONE PIECE TP VOL 58 $9.99

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FEB110986 ROBERT JORDAN WHEEL OF TIME EYE O/T WORLD #12 $3.99

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APR110986 SHERLOCK HOLMES YEAR ONE #6 $3.99

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JUL110927 SIMPSONS COMICS #182 $2.99

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JUL110952 STAN LEE STARBORN #10 $3.99

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JUN111141 HEAVY METAL NOVEMBER 2011 (MR) $6.95
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JUL111387 HORRORHOUND #31 $6.99
JUN111387 RUE MORGUE MAGAZINE #115 $9.95
APR111345 SFX #211 $9.99
MAY111386 STAR WARS VEHICLES COLL MAG #71 DOOKUS SOLAR SAILER $18.00
JUL111394 ULTRA VIOLENT MAGAZINE #11 $5.95
JUN112156 WHITE DWARF #380 PI

The New 52 Review: BATWING #1

BATWING #1
DC COMICS

WRITER: Judd Winick
ARTIST: Ben Oliver
COLORIST: Brian Reber
LETTERS: Carlos M. Mangual
32pp, Color, $2.99

Batwing is the Batman of Africa. Created by Grant Morrison and designed by Chris Burnham, the character first appeared in Batman Incorporated. As part of DC Comics’ re-launch of its superhero line, Batwing is officially a title character.

Batwing #1 (“The Cradle of Civilization”) follows David Zamvimbi A.K.A. Batwing, an officer with the Tinasha Police Department. Zamvimbi is investigating a series of brutal murders connected to the drug trade in Tinasha. At the same time, Batwing meets his match in a machete-wielding, masked villain called Massacre who kills at will.

I saw preview art for Batwing by series artist Ben Oliver that was released during Comic-Con International, and it looked glorious in black and white. Now, as presented in the actual comic book, Oliver’s art has been defaced by Brian Reber’s horrid coloring, which looks like a slush of watercolors and color markers. This ghastly coloring job only emphasizes how vague the background details are; in fact, Oliver draws little and sometimes nothing in the background.

Judd Winick’s feeble storytelling matches the vague art. Hiring a Black man or woman or African to write this comic book wouldn’t kill DC… or would it? An African-American or African would bring a fresh perspective to this book, which really needs one. Under Winick, Batwing, even if it mildly entertains, will probably end up being just more Bat-guano.

C

August 31st
FLASHPOINT #5
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/flashpoint-5.html
JUSTICE LEAGUE #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/justice-league-1.html

September 7th
ACTION COMICS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/action-comics-1.html
DETECTIVE COMICS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/detective-comics-1-2011.html
HAWK AND DOVE #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/hawk-dove-1.html
STORMWATCH #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/stormwatch-1.html

The New 52 Review: STORMWATCH #1

STORMWATCH #1
DC COMICS

WRITER: Paul Cornell
ARTIST: Miguel Sepulveda
COLORS: Allan Passalaqua
LETTERS: Rob Leigh
COVER: Miguel Sepulveda and Nathan Eyring
32pp, Color, $2.99

Stormwatch, a comic book created by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi, was originally published by Image Comics via Lee’s Wildstorm Productions. It debuted in 1993 and was part of a second wave of titles that began after the original Image Comics titles.

Stormwatch was a United Nations-sponsored superhero team that dealt with situations around the world. This comic book is best remembered for Warren Ellis’ run on the series which eventually resulted in the creation of The Authority. Stormwatch returns as part of DC Comics’ re-launch of its superhero line, “The New 52,” and the team is formerly incorporated into the DC Universe.

Stormwatch #1 (“The Dark Side” Part One) finds the team, which protects Earth from major alien threats, trying to recruit a young man known as “Apollo.” Stormwatch desperately needs his impressive powers, so they can’t take “No” for an answer. Something calling itself The Scourge of Worlds has arrived to test humanity, and Harry Tanner, the Eminence of Blades (Yep, that’s what he’s called), faces it alone.

Much of Stormwatch #1 is about back story and things to come. What does take place in the present is mostly character introductions. I can describe this as a mixture of elements of Warren Ellis and writer Paul Cornell’s delusions that he can always turn his contrivances into good ideas for a comic book. I have read very little of his work, but what I have read comes across as pretentious and desperate to be edgy and cool. This is, however, potential here. It could potentially be an adequate comic book, or it could potentially be something that dies a slow death over a two year run – say 18 to 24 issues.

As for the art, Miguel Sepulveda draws like mid-1990s Joe Benitez. Who remembers Weapon Zero? Sepulveda is not ready to draw for DC Comics, simply because his compositions show how raw and unpolished he is. Some of Sepulveda’s figure drawing is… wanting, especially when he draws a character doing something other than standing. Still, he has potential, and perhaps, he will surprise me.

The new Midnighter looks ridiculous.

C

August 31st
FLASHPOINT #5
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/flashpoint-5.html
JUSTICE LEAGUE #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/justice-league-1.html

September 7th
ACTION COMICS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/action-comics-1.html
DETECTIVE COMICS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/detective-comics-1-2011.html
HAWK AND DOVE #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/hawk-dove-1.html

 

The New 52 Review: HAWK & DOVE #1

HAWK & DOVE #1
DC COMICS

WRITER: Sterling Gates
ARTIST: Rob Liefeld
COLORS: Matt Yackey
LETTERS: Dezi Sienty
COVER: Rob Liefeld and Hi-Fi
32pp, Color, $2.99

Hawk and Dove are comic book characters created by Steve Ditko and Steve Skeates. They debuted in Showcase #75 (1968), and starred in their own comic book, The Hawk and the Dove, which ran for six issues from 1968 to 1969.

The characters are Hank Hall, who is the Hawk, a conservative, hot-headed reactionary. His brother is Don Hall, the liberal and pacifist Dove. The Dove was killed in Crisis on Infinite Earths. In 1988, a Hawk & Dove miniseries, with pencil art by a young Rob Liefeld, introduced the new Dove, Dawn Granger.

Liefeld and the Hank and Dawn version of Hawk and Dove return in the New 52 Hawk & Dove #1. Based in Washington D.C., Hawk and Dove take on an airplane hijacking initiated by Alexander Quirk, the self-proclaimed science terrorist who wants to change politics. Quirk’s most fearsome creations are powerful zombies that prove to be difficult to beat down and keep down. Meanwhile, brewing under the surface of the main story, we learn that Dawn Granger is keeping secrets from Hank Hall (because she admits this to her boyfriend, Deadman).

After DC Comics announced that they were re-launching their superhero line “the New 52,” I started hearing that people were comparing the preview art for the new books to the initial Image Comics titles of the early 1990s. Well, the new Hawk & Dove is like a “classic” Image comic book. This is indeed a throwback comic book. Thanks to the art by Rob Liefeld, an Image Comics founder, readers who remember Liefeld’s New Mutants, X-Force, and Youngblood will have a disappointing feeling of déjà vu from Hawk & Dove. Some artists get better with age; others see their skills decline in one way or another. I have to give Liefeld credit for staying the same – for better or for worse.

Hawk & Dove #1 is not at all good, nor is it particularly bad. It is stubbornly, disgustingly, mediocre and average, but it isn’t all Liefeld’s fault, although every line of his art proudly carries the banner for rank amateurism. I’m not familiar with writer Sterling Gray, and I am disappointed that my first encounter with his work is this pedestrian effort.

C-

August 31st
FLASHPOINT #5
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/flashpoint-5.html
JUSTICE LEAGUE #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/justice-league-1.html

September 7th
ACTION COMICS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/action-comics-1.html
DETECTIVE COMICS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/detective-comics-1-2011.html