Comics Weekly
By Pete Kilmer
August 7, 2008
Pete Kilmer has been in the comics retail industry for ten years as a member of Downtown Comics in Indianapolis. Downtown Comics is one of the Midwest's largest comic retailers with over four locations in Indianapolis. All opinions are his own, and they cannot be bought with free swag. Beer and a walk on role on Chuck to steal Sarah from Chuck and I'm bought.
Lots of reorders in this week! It looks like another quiet week for comics except for Final Crisis #3 and Avengers/Invaders #4.
We'll be adding a new feature this week, as Kim Hollis, one of my fellow columnists here at BOP, will be adding her two cents about some of the comics to look out for each week.
Kim's picks of the week:
Secret Invasion Front Line #2
As someone who works for a newspaper, I've always rather enjoyed the Front Line books that have accompanied series like Civil War, World War Hulk and now Secret Invasion. These books offer a look at some of the major marvel arcs through the eyes of the people who must follow the big stories as news reporters. Readers are able to see these earth-shattering events from the perspectives of people who are simply trying to make sense of what is happening in the world around them as superheroes do battle. Comic books don't often give much regard to the bystanders of the world, but the Front Line series takes that unique approach and works well as a sidebar to the big Marvel events.
Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane Season 2 Book 1
I was a *big* fan of Sean McKeever's work on the "first season" of Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane. Since he moved to D.C. and started working on stuff like Teen Titans, Countdown and Birds of Prey, I've missed Mary Jane, Peter, Liz, Flash and Harry. Nonetheless, it was with a bit of trepidation that I approached the new season of Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane, now written by Terry Moore (Strangers in Paradise). I'm pleased to report that it's off to a charming start. Moore has done a fine job of writing primarily in the voice of a teenage girl, and while I didn't get perhaps the same warm fuzzies I did with McKeever's work, it's just the first book in the series. There's plenty of time to build to something excellent.
Spike: After the Fall #2
While other people have been loving the Buffy comics, I've been much more pleased with the quality of Angel: After the Fall, from IDW. Where the writing in Buffy has occasionally left me a little confused as to how Joss (or whomever) is getting from one plot point to the next. I've had no such issue with Angel: After the Fall, which Joss is supervising while Brian Lynch writes. I honestly believe part of my reason for preferring the Angel (and now Spike) series is that I simply missed the characters from Angel more and wanted to know what happened to them after the "world ended". IDW has spun-off the Angel story with a more centralized look at Spike, and let's face it. Who doesn't love Spike? So yes, there's a new Buffy this week and I've heard great things (I haven't gotten to read it just yet), but it will be Spike that gets my attention first.
Comics Shipping This Week
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN FAMILY #1
AMORY WARS II #3 (OF 5)
ARMY @ LOVE THE ART OF WAR #1 (OF 6)
ARMY OF DARKNESS #11 LONG ROAD HOME
AUTHORITY #1
AVENGERS INVADERS #4 (OF 12)
BEYOND #3 (OF 5)
BOYS #21 (MR)
BRIT TP VOL 02 AWOL
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #17
CABLE #6 MD
COUNTDOWN ARENA TP
CRIMINAL 2 #4
CTHULHU TALES TP VOL 01
DEAD OF NIGHT FEATURING MAN-THING TP
DEMONWARS VOL 02 DEMON SPIRIT #2 (OF 3)
DETECTIVE COMICS #847 RIP (another needless tie-in to the R.I.P. series)
DMZ TP VOL 05 THE HIDDEN WAR
ETERNALS #3
FATHOM #1 CVR A GARZA
FINAL CRISIS #3 (OF 7)
FOOLKILLER TP FOOLS PARADISE (MR)
FRANKLIN RICHARDS SUMMER SMACKDOWN
FX #6 (OF 6)
GRENDEL GOD & THE DEVIL TP
HACK SLASH SERIES #14 SEELEY
HAWKMAN SPECIAL #1
HELLBLAZER PRESENTS CHAS THE KNOWLEDGE #2 (OF 5)
HOUSE OF MYSTERY #4
HULK #5
INFINITY INC #12
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #4
IRON MAN VIVA LAS VEGAS #2 (OF 4)
JACK OF FABLES #24 (MR)
JONAH HEX #34
KILLER #7 (OF 10)
KING SIZE SPIDER-MAN SUMMER SPECIAL
KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE SPECIAL ED LAST MAN STANDING
MANHUNTER #33
MARVEL ILLUSTRATED MOBY DICK #6 (OF 6)
MARVEL ILLUSTRATED THREE MUSKETEERS #3 (OF 6)
NEW EXILES #9
NIGHTWING #147 RIP
NYX NO WAY HOME #1 (OF 6)
OKKO CYCLE OF EARTH #1 (OF 4) (MR)
PATSY WALKER HELLCAT #2 (OF 5)
PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL #22
RED SONJA #36
ROBIN #176 (expect another quick sellout of this book)
RUNES OF RAGNAN TP
SECRET INVASION FRONT LINE #2 (OF 5) SI
SPIDER-MAN J TP VOL 1 JAPANESE KNIGHTS DIGEST
SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE SEASON 2 #1 (OF 5)
SPIKE AFTER THE FALL #2 (OF 4)
ST TNG INTELLIGENCE GATHERING TP
STAR TREK ASSIGNMENT EARTH #4 (an extremely fun series starring Gary Seven and Roberta from the Assignment Earth episode, John Bryne seems to be having fun in comics again!)
STAR WARS DARK TIMES TP VOL 02 PARALLELS
STORMING PARADISE #2 (OF 6)
SUPERGIRL #32
SWORD #10
TEEN TITANS #61
TEMPEST #7
TERRY MOORES ECHO #5
TITANIUM RAIN #1 (OF 12)
TOR #4 (OF 6)
TRANSFORMERS MOVIE PREQUEL SAGA O/T ALLSPARK #2
TRINITY #10
TWELVE #7 (OF 12)
ULTIMATE ORIGINS #3 (OF 5)
VENOM DARK ORIGIN #1 (OF 5)
VINYL UNDERGROUND #11 (
WAR THAT TIME FORGOT #4 (OF 12)
WOLVERINE KILLING MADE SIMPLE
WORLD OF WARCRAFT HC VOL 01
On Fridays we now post the complete list of new releases that actually ships for the week. Books that will actually be in store! So please head over to Downtown Comics and check out the Shipping This Week section!
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