IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for August 3 2011

IDW PUBLISHING

JUN110434 30 DAYS OF NIGHT NIGHT AGAIN #4 (OF 4) $3.99

APR110385 CANIFF HC $49.99

JUN110443 CRYSIS #3 (OF 6) $3.99

MAY110402 DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS #9 $3.99

JUN110383 GI JOE VOL 2 ONGOING #4 $3.99

APR110357 HERO COMICS 2011 (ONE SHOT) $3.99

MAY110421 SPINECRAWLER GN $17.99

APR110374 SUICIDE GIRLS #4 (OF 4) (MR) $3.99

JUN110437 THAT HELLBOUND TRAIN #3 (OF 3) $3.99

MAY110324 WALTER SIMONSON THOR ARTIST ED HC PI

JUN110462 WYNONNA EARP YETI WARS #4 $3.99

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 3 2011

DARK HORSE COMICS

MAR110066 CARDCAPTOR SAKURA DARK HORSE OMNIBUS ED VOL 02 (RES) $19.99

FEB110044 DOMO & FRIENDS FIGURE SET $17.99

MAY110041 KULT #1 (OF 4) $3.50

MAY110017 STAR WARS DARK TIMES OUT O/T WILDERNESS #1 (OF 5) CORREA CVR $2.99

MAY110046 USAGI YOJIMBO #139 $3.50

Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 3 2011

IMAGE COMICS

JUN110522 50 GIRLS 50 #3 (OF 4) $2.99

APR110486 68 (SIXTY EIGHT) #3 (OF 4) CVR A NAT JONES & JAY FOTOS $3.99

APR110487 68 (SIXTY EIGHT) #3 (OF 4) CVR B NAT JONES $3.99

MAY110504 DAOMU #6 (MR) $2.99

MAY110506 DRUMS #3 (OF 4) $2.99

JUN110542 GREEN WAKE #5 (MR) $3.50

JUN110473 INFINITE #1 $2.99

JUN110477 INFINITE #1 DELUXE ED $5.99

MAY110464 META 4 COMPLETE SERIES TP (MR) $14.99

JUN110550 MORIARTY #4 $2.99

MAR110597 SAVAGE DRAGON #172 $3.50

JUN110557 SCREAMLAND ONGOING #3 $2.99

JUN110488 SEVERED #1 (MR) $2.99

MAY118257 SUPER DINOSAUR #3 VAR CVR 2ND PTG $2.99

JUN110563 WALKING DEAD WEEKLY #31 (MR) $2.99

MAY118278 WITCH DOCTOR #1 (OF 4) VAR CVR 2ND PTG $2.99

Comics and Magazines from Diamond Distributors for August 3 2011

PREVIEWS PUBLICATIONS
JUN110001 PREVIEWS #275 AUGUST 2011 PI

COMICS
MAY111258 AI ORE GN VOL 02 $12.99

MAY111244 BAKUMAN TP VOL 06 $9.99

JUN110841 BEST OF ARCHIE COMICS TP $9.99

MAY110825 BETTY #193 $2.99

JUN111412 BIG BOOK OF ADVENTURE STORIES SC $25.00

MAY111248 BLEACH 3-IN-1 ED VOL 02 $14.99

MAY111245 BLUE EXORCIST GN VOL 03 $9.99

JUN111002 BOYS #57 (MR) $3.99

MAY111304 BRIMSTONE #3 A CVR EBAS (MR) $3.25

MAY111305 BRIMSTONE #3 B CVR MYCHAELS (MR) $3.25

JUN110859 BROKEN PIECES #0 CVR A KANESHIRO $2.50

JUN110860 BROKEN PIECES #0 CVR B FABOK $2.50

APR110825 CALIGULA #3 (OF 6) (MR) $3.99

APR110826 CALIGULA #3 (OF 6) WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99

APR110759 DIARY OF A ZOMBIE KID TP $14.95

JUN110937 ELRIC THE BALANCE LOST #2 $3.99

MAR110857 FEEDING GROUND #6 (OF 6) (MR) $3.95

NOV100742 FLASH GORDON INVASION O/T RED SWORD #3 $3.99

DEC100754 FLASH GORDON MERCY WARS #1 LTD VAR ED $3.99

MAY111254 FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST 3-IN-1 ED VOL 02 $14.99

MAY111263 GIN TAMA TP VOL 23 $9.99

JUN111213 GOODBYE CHUNKY RICE PANTHEON ED (O/A) $12.95

MAY111292 GRIMM FAIRY TALES #62 (MR) $2.99

MAY111260 HARUKA BEYOND THE STREAM OF TIME GN VOL 13 $9.99

JUN110949 IRREDEEMABLE #28 $3.99

MAY111257 KAMISAMA KISS TP VOL 04 $9.99

MAY111259 KAZE HIKARU GN VOL 19 $9.99

JUN111298 KOBATO GN VOL 04 $11.99

DEC100719 MEGAMIND #3 $3.95

JAN110928 MEGAMIND #4 $3.95

APR111262 MHSG CASE FILES SASQUATCH #1 A CVR RIO (MR) $4.99

APR111263 MHSG CASE FILES SASQUATCH #1 B CVR QUALANO (MR) $4.99

JUN110987 MULTIPLEX ENJOY YOUR SHOW TP VOL 01 (MR) $19.95

MAY111255 NATSUMES BOOK OF FRIENDS TP VOL 08 $9.99

MAR110907 NIGHT O/T LIVING DEAD DEATH VALLEY #3 (OF 5) (MR) $3.99

MAR110908 NIGHT O/T LIVING DEAD DEATH VALLEY #3 (OF 5) GORE CVR (MR) $3.99

MAR110909 NIGHT O/T LIVING DEAD DEATH VALLEY #3 (OF 5) WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99

MAY111249 NURA RISE O/T YOKAI CLAN GN VOL 04 $9.99

MAY111261 OTOMEN GN VOL 11 $9.99

FEB110715 PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR TP VOL 02 WONDER FROM DOWN UNDER $6.95

MAY111157 PETROGRAD GN $29.99

MAY111252 POKEMON ADVENTURES TP VOL 14 $7.99

JUN111286 POKEMON BLACK & WHITE GN VOL 01 $4.99

JUN111287 POKEMON BLACK & WHITE GN VOL 02 $4.99

MAY110779 RACHEL RISING #1 $3.99

JUN111045 RED SONJA TP VOL 09 WAR SEASON $16.99

JUN110963 ROGER LANGRIDGE SNARKED #0 $1.00

MAY110832 SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH ANIMATED SERIES TP VOL 01 $9.95

MAY111256 SAKURA HIME LEGEND OF PRINCESS SAKURA GN VOL 03 $9.99

MAY111265 SEIHO BOYS HIGH SCHOOL TP VOL 07 $9.99

MAY111264 SLAM DUNK GN VOL 17 $9.99

MAY110833 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #227 $2.99

DEC100986 STEVE CANYON COMP COMIC BOOK SERIES HC VOL 01 $49.99

MAY111262 STORY OF SAIUNKOKU GN VOL 04 $9.99

MAY110804 STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE BERRY FUN #1 (OF 4) $3.95

MAR111224 TANK TANKURO HC W/ SLIPCASE $29.95

MAY111246 TEGAMI BACHI GN VOL 06 $9.99

JUN111331 TERMINAL ALICE GN $9.99

MAY110796 VICTORIAN SECRETS SUMMER CATALOG ONE SHOT $3.99

MAY110998 WARLORD OF MARS DEJAH THORIS #5 $3.99

FEB111046 WILLIE & JOE BACK HOME HC (RES) $29.99

FEB111045 WILLIE & JOE WWII YEARS GN $39.99

MAY110835 WORLD OF ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #9 $3.99

MAY111247 YU GI OH GX GN VOL 07 $9.99

MAY110942 ZOMBIE TALES OMNIBUS TP (RES) $19.99

MAY111017 ZORRO RIDES AGAIN #1 $3.99

MAGAZINES
JUN111381 FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND #257 $9.99
MAY111108 HEAVY METAL SEPTEMBER 2011 (MR) $6.95
MAY111192 STAR WARS CLONE WARS MAGAZINE #6 $4.99

Leroy Douresseaux on THE VAULT #1

THE VAULT #1 (OF 3)
IMAGE COMICS

WRITER: Sam Sarkar
ARTIST: Garrie Gastonny
COLORS: Sakti Yuwono
COVER: Bagus Hutomo
28pp, Color, $3.50

Published by Image Comics, The Vault is a new comic book from writer Sam Sarkar and artist Garrie Gastonny (the team behind Caliber: First Canon of Justice). The three-issue miniseries focuses on a small team of treasure hunters struggling to excavate a dangerous treasure pit before a massive storm arrives. Nothing can prepare these people for what they are about to unleash.

The Vault #1 introduces archeologists and treasure hunters, Dr. Gabrielle Parker and Dr. Michael Page. The duo has spent most of their academic and professional career trying to unravel the mystery of the Oak Island Treasure Pit. Now, Oak Island finds lead them to another treasure pit at Sable Island, known as the “Graveyard of the North Atlantic,” but the new dig requires the latest high tech equipment. Enter a new partner who is demanding more, but that money will lead to something extraordinary.

First, I should say that I really enjoyed reading The Vault. I bet this will be a hoot to read in a collected edition. It reminds me of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Abyss, as well as any of those movies about a small band of folks going after underwater treasure.

Writer Sam Sarkar is a veteran in television writing and film production, and this experience shows in The Vault’s solid storytelling structure. Sarkar has created strongly developed characters in the leads (Parker and Page), in the supporting players, and even in the extraneous characters who will probably end up in the meat grinder. Artist Garrie Gastonny and colorist Sakti Yuwono turn in truly high-quality work – solid compositions and storytelling from Gastonny and some beautifully colored pages from Yuwono.

The Vault #1’s cover by Bagus Hutomo is the perfect book cover, promising chills and thrills inside the book. And here, you can judge a book by its cover, because The Vault is a hell of a read, promising even more hell to come.

A-

Gin Tama People Almost Always Fight on Trips

I read Gin Tama, Vol. 23

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps).

Leroy Douresseaux on ABATTOIR #6

ABATTOIR #6 (OF 6)
RADICAL PUBLISHING

CREATOR: Darren Lynn Bousman
CONCEPT: Michael Peterson
WRITERS: Rob Levin and Troy Peteri
PENCILS: Wayne Nichols
COLORS: Andrei Pervukhin
LETTERS: Troy Peteri
COVER: Tae Young Choi
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S.

Radical Publishing’s Abattoir comes to an end.

This is the horror comic book miniseries created by Darren Lynn Bousman (the director of three films in the Saw franchise). Set in the late 1980s, Abattoir follows real estate agent, Richard Ashwalt, who was struggling to sell a house where a brutal massacre took place. Richard falls into a murderous conspiracy involving a strange old man named Jebediah Crone, who buys the house in spite of Richard’s tremendous efforts to stop him.

In Abattoir #6, Richard has finally discovered Crone’s Abattoir. Crone wants Richard to be the curator of this monstrosity. To say no could mean the end for Richard and for his wife and daughter.

While the sixth and final issue of Abattoir has pretty much the same vibe and mood, as well as characters, plot, and settings as the rest of the series, I am disappointed. I don’t like how it ends, although most of this issue is quite good. Actually, this is the ending that I expected, and Bousman was bound to leave an opening for a sequel, just as he did in his three Saw films.

Overall, this is a riveting, scary tale that doesn’t skimp on the blood, gore, and brain matter. And yes, it does matter that Vertigo and IDW not be the only big publishers (relatively speaking) that publish horror comics. So I go for Radical Publishing’s Abattoir. It is a real deal true bloody horror comic book.

B+