DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for April 18 2012

DC COMICS

JAN120392 AME COMI RAVEN ANGEL OF AZARATH VAR PVC FIG (RES) $70.00

JAN120393 AME COMI RAVEN DEMON DAUGHTER VAR PVC FIGURE (RES) $70.00

FEB128152 BATMAN #6 2ND PTG $2.99

FEB120186 BATMAN #8 $3.99

FEB120189 BATMAN #8 COMBO PACK $4.99

FEB120237 BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED #3 $3.99

FEB120239 BATMAN ODYSSEY VOL 2 #7 (OF 7) $3.99

FEB128153 BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT #5 2ND PTG $2.99

JAN120305 BATMAN VENOM TP NEW EDITION $14.99

FEB120197 BIRDS OF PREY #8 $2.99

FEB120257 BLACKEST NIGHT SPECIAL EDITION #1 $4.99

FEB120233 BLUE BEETLE #8 $2.99

FEB120172 CAPTAIN ATOM #8 $2.99

FEB120202 CATWOMAN #8 $2.99

JAN120331 CINDERELLA FABLES ARE FOREVER TP (MR) $14.99

FEB120175 DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS #8 $2.99

FEB120287 DOMINIQUE LAVEAU VOODOO CHILD #2 (MR) $2.99

FEB120284 FABLES #116 (MR) $2.99

FEB120208 GREEN LANTERN CORPS #8 $2.99

FEB120292 HELLBLAZER #290 (MR) $2.99

FEB120160 JUSTICE LEAGUE #8 $3.99

FEB120163 JUSTICE LEAGUE #8 COMBO PACK $4.99

FEB120236 LEGION OF SUPER HEROES #8 $2.99

DEC110292 NEW TEEN TITANS OMNIBUS HC VOL 02 $75.00

FEB120203 NIGHTWING #8 $2.99

FEB120201 RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #8 $2.99

DEC110314 SHOOTERS HC (MR) $22.99

JAN120315 SHOWCASE PRESENTS ALL STAR SQUADRON TP VOL 01 $19.99

FEB128151 SUICIDE SQUAD #7 2ND PTG $2.99

FEB120185 SUPERGIRL #8 $2.99

FEB120242 THUNDER AGENTS VOL 2 #6 (OF 6) (NOTE PRICE) $3.99

FEB120167 WONDER WOMAN #8 $2.99

FEB120277 YOUNG JUSTICE #15 $2.99

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for April 18 2012

MARVEL COMICS

FEB120569 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #684 ENDS $3.99

NOV110597 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN OMNIBUS HC VOL 02 RAMOS CVR $99.99

NOV110598 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN OMNIBUS HC VOL 02 ROMITA DM VAR ED $99.99

FEB120541 AVENGERS #25 AVX $3.99

NOV110606 AVENGERS SERPENT CROWN PREM HC $24.99

NOV110607 AVENGERS SERPENT CROWN PREM HC DM VAR ED 87 $24.99

FEB128219 AVENGERS VS X-MEN #0 (OF 12) 2ND PTG CHO VAR $3.99

FEB120534 AVENGERS VS X-MEN #2 (OF 12) WITH DIG CDE AVX $3.99

FEB120609 DEFENDERS #5 $3.99

FEB120676 EMMA GN TP $14.99

FEB120665 FEAR ITSELF HOME FRONT PREM HC $29.99

FEB120666 FEAR ITSELF UNCANNY X-FORCE DEEP PREM HC $24.99

FEB120596 INCREDIBLE HULK #7 $3.99

FEB120612 INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #515 $3.99

FEB120563 JOHN CARTER GODS OF MARS #2 (OF 5) $2.99

FEB120553 MARVELS AVENGERS PRELUDE FURYS BIG WEEK #4 (OF 4) $2.99

FEB120632 NEW MUTANTS #41 $2.99

FEB120667 NEW MUTANTS DATE WITH DEVIL PREM HC $19.99

FEB120578 PUNISHER #10 OMEGA $2.99

FEB120677 RED HULK HULK OF ARABIA TP $14.99

FEB120678 SIX GUNS TP $14.99

FEB120617 THUNDERBOLTS #173 $2.99

FEB120683 ULT COMICS SPIDER-MAN TP VOL 04 DOSM $19.99

NOV110596 ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS BY MARK MILLAR OMNIBUS HC $75.00

FEB120625 UNCANNY X-FORCE #24 $3.99

FEB120574 VENOM #16 $2.99

FEB120547 WOLVERINE AND X-MEN #9 AVX $3.99

FEB120670 WOLVERINE AND X-MEN BY JASON AARON PREM HC VOL 01 $19.99

FEB120635 X-FACTOR #234 $2.99

FEB120687 X-FACTOR TP VOL 13 HARD LABOR $15.99

FEB120623 X-MEN #27 $3.99

NOV110603 X-MEN FATAL ATTRACTIONS HC $99.99

FEB120691 X-MEN HIDDEN YEARS TP VOL 01 $34.99

IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for April 18 2012

IDW PUBLISHING

FEB120381 DOCTOR WHO ONGOING VOL 2 #16 $3.99
JAN120425 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS EBERRON ANNUAL 2012 #1 $7.99
FEB120396 ETERNAL DESCENT VOL 2 #4 (OF 6) $3.99
FEB120373 GHOSTBUSTERS ONGOING #8 $3.99
FEB120365 GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO #177 $3.99
FEB120391 HP LOVECRAFT THE DUNWICH HORROR TP $17.99
FEB120348 NEXT MEN AFTERMATH #42 $3.99
FEB120336 ROCKETEER ADVENTURES 2 #2 (OF 4) $3.99
FEB120344 TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES MICRO SERIES #4 LEONARDO $3.99
JAN120461 TRANSFORMERS CLASSICS TP VOL 03 $24.99
FEB120354 TRANSFORMERS MORE THAN MEETS EYE ONGOING #4 $3.99
JAN120481 ZOMBIES VS ROBOTS THIS MEANS WAR PROSE SC $17.99

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for April 18 2012

DARK HORSE COMICS

FEB120048 3 STORY SECRET FILES O/T GIANT MAN ONE SHOT $3.50
JAN120108 ARCHIE ARCHIVES HC VOL 05 $49.99
DEC118164 ART OF TARA MCPHERSON HC VOL 02 LOST CONSTELLATIONS $24.99
FEB120038 BPRD HELL ON EARTH LONG DEATH #3 $3.50
FEB120052 DARK HORSE PRESENTS #11 FRANCAVILLA VAR CVR $7.99
FEB120051 DARK HORSE PRESENTS #11 ZONJIC CVR $7.99
JAN120094 FEAR AGENT TP VOL 06 $16.99
DEC110084 GANTZ TP VOL 22 $12.99
DEC110064 HELLCYON TP $12.99
DEC110083 KATSUYA TERADA THE MONKEY KING TP VOL 02 $16.99
DEC110082 OH MY GODDESS RTL TP VOL 41 $12.99
FEB120027 RAGEMOOR #2 $3.50
FEB120044 RESET #1 (OF 4) BAGGE CVR $3.50
FEB120016 RESIDENT ALIEN #0 $3.50
FEB128143 STAR WARS DAWN O/T JEDI FORCE STORM #0 (3RD PTG) $3.50
FEB128144 STAR WARS DAWN O/T JEDI FORCE STORM #1 (3RD PTG) $3.50
FEB120012 STAR WARS DAWN O/T JEDI FORCE STORM #3 $3.50

Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for April 18 2012

IMAGE COMICS

FEB128069 BLOODSTRIKE #26 VAR CVR 2ND PTG $2.99
AUG110511 BOMB QUEEN VII QUEENS WORLD #3 (OF 4) (MR) $3.50
JAN128232 DARKNESS #101 VAR CVR 2ND PTG (MR) $2.99
FEB128156 MANHATTAN PROJECTS #1 VAR CVR 3RD PTG $3.50
FEB120509 MANHATTAN PROJECTS #2 $3.50
FEB120512 NEAR DEATH #7 $2.99
FEB120513 NO PLACE LIKE HOME #3 (MR) $2.99
JAN128231 PROPHET #23 VAR CVR 2ND PTG $2.99
FEB120516 PROPHET #24 $2.99
FEB128166 SAGA #1 VAR CVR 3RD PTG (MR) $2.99
FEB120461 SPAWN ORIGINS HC VOL 06 $29.99
JAN120606 SUPER DINOSAUR #10 $2.99
FEB120527 WALKING DEAD #96 (MR) $2.99
JAN120610 WITCHBLADE #155 CVR A CHRISTOPER $2.99
JAN120611 WITCHBLADE #155 CVR B BERNARD & BENES $2.99

Comics and Magazines from Diamond Distributors for April 18 2012

COMICS

DEC111181 2000 AD #1772 $5.25

JAN121233 2000 AD #1773 (NOTE PRICE) $5.25

JAN121234 2000 AD #1774 (NOTE PRICE) $5.25

JAN121235 2000 AD #1775 (NOTE PRICE) $5.25

FEB120751 ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #228 $3.99

FEB120986 ARMY OF DARKNESS OMNIBUS TP VOL 02 $29.99

FEB121131 ASTERIX OMNIBUS SC VOL 03 $19.95

FEB121203 BETRAYAL KNOWS MY NAME GN VOL 03 (MR) $18.99

FEB120753 BETTY & VERONICA #259 $2.99

FEB121204 BLACK BUTLER TP VOL 09 $11.99

JAN121261 BLOOD FEAST #1 $3.50

JAN121169 BLOODY MONDAY GN VOL 05 $10.99

JAN121170 CAGE OF EDEN GN VOL 05 $10.99

JAN121274 CAPTAIN COMMANDO GN VOL 01 (OF 2) $19.99

JAN121291 CASE CLOSED GN VOL 42 $9.99

FEB121039 CASTLE WAITING VOL II #16 (RES) $3.95

JAN121292 CROSS GAME TP VOL 07 $14.99

DEC110763 DAMAGED GOODS GN (MR) $17.99

SEP111045 DANGER GIRL ARMY OF DARKNESS #5 $3.99

AUG111227 DARKSTALKERS ULTIMATE ED TP $49.99

DEC118227 DCD SUMMIT 2012 AVENGERS VS X-MEN #2 (OF 12) INKED VAR PI

DEC111059 DF WARLORD OF MARS #16 EXC RISQUE RED CVR $14.99

JAN121197 DISNEY FAIRIES GN VOL 08 TINKER BELL STORIES FOR RAINY DAY $7.99

JAN121198 DISNEY FAIRIES HC VOL 08 TINKER BELL STORIES FOR RAINY DAY $11.99

JAN121297 DOROHEDORO GN VOL 06 (MR) $12.99

FEB121206 DURARARA GN VOL 02 $11.99

JAN121296 EXCEL SAGA TP VOL 23 $9.99

FEB120772 FATHOM KIANI VOL 2 #1 CVR A NOME $3.50

FEB120773 FATHOM KIANI VOL 2 #1 CVR B OUM $3.50

DEC111207 HARVEY PEKAR CLEVELAND HC $21.99

FEB120836 HELLRAISER MASTERPIECES #12 (MR) $3.99

JAN121427 HEROES FOR MY DAUGHTER HC $19.99

FEB121207 HIGH SCHOOL OF DEAD GN VOL 06 (MR) $13.99

FEB121208 HIGURASHI WHEN THEY CRY GN VOL 18 ATONEMENT ARC PT 4 $11.99

AUG111189 HUSH HUSH HC $19.95

JAN120977 ICE AGE PLAYING FAVORITES ONE SHOT $3.99

FEB120838 IRREDEEMABLE #36 $3.99

JAN121293 ITSUWARIBITO GN VOL 05 $9.99

DEC111185 JUDGE ANDERSON PSI FILES TP VOL 02 $32.99

JAN121294 KEKKAISHI GN VOL 31 $9.99

JAN121166 KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE #185 $5.99

DEC111114 KODT BUNDLE OF TROUBLE TP VOL 36 $14.99

SEP111099 KRAZY & IGNATZ TP 1922-1924 DRIM OF LOVE $24.99

SEP111100 KRAZY IGNATZ LTD HC FIRST SUNDAYS (1916-1924) $95.00

JAN121303 LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE HERE COMES THE SUN GN $6.99

JAN121255 LOVECRAFT ANTHOLOGY TP VOL 01 $19.95

JAN121295 MAOH JUVENILE REMIX TP VOL 10 (OF 10) $9.99

DEC110835 MIXTAPE #1 $2.99

JAN121304 MR BUMP IN LIGHTS CAMERA BUMP GN $6.99

JAN121746 MR TOAST COMICS #1 $3.00

JAN121747 MR TOAST COMICS #2 $3.00

JAN121286 NAOKI URASAWA 20TH CENTURY BOYS GN VOL 20 $12.99

FEB120872 PEANUTS #4 (OF 4) $3.99

FEB120840 PLANET OF THE APES #13 $3.99

JAN120810 POCKET GOD GN VOL 02 TALE OF TWO PYGMIES (RES) $12.99

JAN120811 POCKET GOD GN VOL 03 QUEST CALLED TRIBE $12.99

FEB120703 RACHEL RISING #7 $3.99

OCT111046 RED SONJA #65 $3.99

FEB121113 SECRET HISTORY OF DB COOPER #2 $3.99

FEB120897 SHADOW #1 $3.99

FEB121157 SHARK KING GN $12.95

FEB120819 SIMPSONS COMICS #189 $2.99

JAN120926 SIMPSONS CONFIDENTIAL TP $15.99

FEB121112 SIXTH GUN #21 $3.99

FEB120762 SONIC UNIVERSE #39 $2.99

FEB120856 STEED AND MRS PEEL #4 (OF 6) $3.99

JAN120892 STITCHED #4 (MR) $3.99

JAN120894 STITCHED #4 GORE CVR (MR) $3.99

JAN120893 STITCHED #4 WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99

FEB121066 STRANGEWAYS THE THIRSTY GN $17.95

FEB120809 SURVIVALIST ONE SHOT $7.99

JAN121287 TENJO TENGE GN VOL 06 (MR) $17.99

FEB120740 TURNING TIGER GN SPECIAL ED $7.99

OCT111015 VAMPI OMNIBUS TP VOL 01 $29.99

DEC111012 VAMPIRELLA #16 $3.99

JAN121288 X 3-IN-1 ED TP VOL 02 $19.99

MAGAZINES
DEC111345 007 MAGAZINE ARCHIVE DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER #1 $18.00
JAN121362 BACK ISSUE #55 $8.95
DEC111290 COMIC HEROES MAGAZINE #11 100 GREATEST HEROES $18.99
JAN121386 DR WHO MAGAZINE #445 $8.99
DEC111183 JUDGE DREDD MEGAZINE #321 $11.99
FEB121312 LOCUS #615 $6.95
NOV111229 MEGAMI FEB 2012 $16.60
NOV111231 NEWTYPE FEB 2012 $16.00
JAN121423 SFX #220 $10.99
FEB121306 SUPERNATURAL MAGAZINE #32 NEWSSTAND ED $6.99
FEB121307 SUPERNATURAL MAGAZINE #32 PX ED $6.99
JAN121405 UNDYING MONSTERS MAGAZINE #4 $9.95

I Reads You Review: ROCKETEER ADVENTURES VOL. 2 #1

"More tears than rockets"
ROCKETEER ADVENTURES VOL. 2 #1
IDW PUBLISHING

WRITERS: Marc Guggenheim, Peter David, Stan Sakai
ARTISTS: Sandy Plunkett, Bill Sienkiewicz, Stan Sakai
COLORS: Jeromy Cox, Bill Sienkiewicz, Dave Stewart
LETTERS: Robbie Robbins, Bill Sienkiewicz, Stan Sakai
PIN-UP: Arthur Adams with John Rauch
EDITOR: Scott Dunbier
COVER: Darwyn Cooke (alternate cover by Dave Stevens)
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S.

First appearing in 1982, The Rocketeer is a superhero created by the late writer/illustrator Dave Stevens and inspired by the Saturday matinee movie heroes of the 1930s and 1940s. Set mainly in Los Angeles in and after the year 1938, the series follows Cliff Secord, a stunt pilot who discovers a mysterious jet pack that allows him to fly, leading to the birth of The Rocketeer.

After a long absence from comics, The Rocketeer returned last year in Rocketeer Adventures. This four-issue miniseries was an anthology comic book edited by Scott Dunbier and published by IDW Publishing. Rocketeer Adventures features Rocketeer short stories (about 7 to 8 pages in length) from some of the premiere creators in American comic books. Now, the fun is back in Rocketeer Adventures Vol. 2.

Rocketeer Adventures Vol. 2 #1 opens with “The Good Guys,” story by Marc Guggenheim and art by Sandy Plunkett. While the wounded Rocketeer slumbers in a bed on the second floor of a farmhouse, the locals discuss his fate: turn him over to the law or not. But a child shall lead them. Peter David gives the Rocketeer a Looney Tunes spin in “The Ducketeer,” with art by Bill Sienkiewicz, who executes a graphic riff on Chuck Jones and Maurice Noble. Stan Sakai takes the Rocketeer to a small-ville and the Rocketeer takes a kid up, up, and away in “A Dream of Flying.”

Rocketeer Adventures Vol. 2 starts off nostalgic and quaint with this first issue. The stories are sweet and sentimental, with in-jokes for comic book and cartoon fans. These pop culture references and riffs will make even the most jaded pop culture buff smile.

Marc Guggenheim’s tale (“The Good Guys”) treads on familiar territory. Are there enough good people to fight evil and what is the nature of vigilantism are two real-world questions with which this story grapples. Guggenheim’s story is timely in light of a FOX News affiliate in Orlando, Florida referring to Neo-Nazi group, the National Socialist Movement, as a civil rights group, something the FOX News website later repeated.

This story is also a welcomed return of seldom-seen comic book artist, Sandy Plunkett, whose style is ideal for this old-timey, rural pastoral story. Like Rocketeer creator, Dave Stevens, Plunkett is apparently also influenced by the American book and magazine illustrators of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

That aside, these new Rocketeer comic books are rapidly becoming showcases for artists that don’t regularly produce comic book art. These stories are also too sentimental, and, as much as I enjoy a dose of “Disneyana” with my comics, The Rocketeer’s origin comes out of adventure movie serials. This character needs to bust out in a miniseries – one complete with cliffhanger endings at the end of each issue. New Rocketeer comics should not be treated as if they are part of a eulogy to Stevens. All this pretty art and quaintness makes Rocketeer Adventures seem like a funerary item.

I appreciate the new Rocketeer comics, but they can be more than what they are. I must admit, of course, that I think the Art Adams pin-up is awesome.

B+