HOT PICKS! On Sale This Week!

To hell with dopey, knee-jerk and ill-informed opinions about A-Force — it’s a unanimous pick by the crew this week!

And if you don’t know what I’m referring to, all the better.

On to the picks!

Scott Tipton, Co-Owner, Blastoff Comics, North Hollywood, Calif.

A-Force #1, Marvel. An all-female Avengers team book by the writer behind Ms. Marvel? Absolutely.

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Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency #1, IDW Publishing. Stepping into Douglas Adams‘ legendary shoes here must be intimidating, to say the least. Looking forward to seeing what Chris Ryall and Tony Akins do with it.

Donald Duck #1, IDW Publishing. It will be great to have new Duck comics on the shelves every month again. Combined with the great Rosa and Barks collections from Fantagraphics and the upcoming Artist’s Editions, it’s a good time to be a Disney comics fan.

Aimee LoSecco, JHU Comic Books, Manhattan

It’s the “I’m dying, but comics will make it better” edition this week. Don’t worry, bags and boards will keep the germs off and wipe clean.

Lumberjanes #14, Boom! It’s the start of a new story arc! New readers jump on board here! Troop leader Jen is lost (how is that even possible?) and Roanoke cabin sets out on a quest to find her. Weirdos abound along the way. Weirder than Bear Woman? You bet your sweet Holy Kitten!

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A-Force #1, Marvel. I just want to see Marvel’s version of Themyscira SO.  BAD.  Thank you, G. Willow Wilson, for making a sick woman’s dream come true!

Master of Kung-Fu #1, Marvel. Awwww yeah, Shang-Chi is back, son! First of a four-issue Battleworld miniseries, our anti-hero drags himself out of the drunken mess he’s made to kick some serious ass. Bonus: Francesco Francavilla‘s doing covers. Yeah!

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Ted Alexander, manager, Midtown Comics’ Downtown location, Manhattan

A-Force #1, Marvel. Ever since I heard about this comic being produced I’ve been pretty hyped. I was bummed when they cancelled the She-Hulk comic, but it will be great to see her front and center, surrounded by other great characters. This looks to be a lot of fun and it’s what we need during tragedy events like Secret Wars and Convergence.

Archie vs. Predator #2, Dark Horse. How gruesome was that first issue? Seeing characters skinned alive in the Archie art is not something I ever wanted to see. I still think about that panel a month later. It’s terrifying and cute at the same time. Go back and find that first issue and then read this one and read it under the covers with a flashlight.

Tim Finn, Hub Comics, Somerville, Mass.

Optic Nerve #14, D&Q. As his contemporaries in lit comics have shifted exclusively to graphic novels, Adrian Tomine has moved back to — or stayed with — single issues. They take forever to come out, but they’re worth it — the last two issues were great (and available again). Tomine is in rarified air for telling subtle, human slice-of-life stories. You can buy this without reading anything else by him.

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Pope Hats #4, AdHouse Books. Funny, the same day a new Optic Nerve hits, so does this. Like a lunar eclipse. Ethan Rilly is an Adrian Tomine for a new generation, uh, not that Tomine is old, and this issue is full color. And you buy this without reading anything else by him. Issue #2 won an Ignatz. Try it.

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A-Force #1, Marvel Comics. All-women Avengers team! I’m going to pretend this isn’t a part of Secret Wars. Marvel has been on a roll with Black Widow, She-Hulk, Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel. So this makes sense.

Dimitrios Fragiskatos, manager, Midtown Comics’ Grand Central location, Manhattan

A-Force #1, Marvel Comics. Not knowing too much about comics, I had my son and his best friend, Captain Cosmonaut, explain to me why the women on the cover of A-Force #1 look like models and celebrities (or porn stars for those who want to put it more crudely).

Cosmonaut said, “Well superhero comics are traditionally wish-fulfillment fantasies, mostly geared towards a male audience.”

I said “Yeah, well, what about women who want to  read superhero comics? Won’t they be put off by seeing women with unrealistic proportions on a cover like this? I hate that all comics are like this.”

Then my son was like, “It’s pretty insulting to the creators out there who are working to draw in a new demographic with works like Noelle Stevenson’s Lumberjanes or even A-Force author G. Willow Wilson’s Ms. Marvel, that you are holding this comic as some kind of standard to measure all comics. Perhaps it’s best if you wait before you write an article based on an oversimplified understanding of the medium, and pass it off as informed.”

And I was like, “What do you know? You’re four years old.” And I proceeded to pick up my male wish-fulfillment power fantasy with art by Jorge Molina, and (though I wouldn’t admit it publicly) enjoy it.

Author: Dan Greenfield

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