It’s Old Comics Home this week — Wally Wood! JSA! The end of Fables! —
Scott Tipton, Co-Owner, Blastoff Comics, North Hollywood, Calif.
America vs. The Justice Society TPB, DC Comics. Considering how focused DC is on the present these days, I’m amazed to see this orgy of Golden Age nostalgia released in a nice trade paperback. Amazed and pleased, as this has always been one of my all-time favorite Justice Society stories. Don’t know anything about the history of the JSA? Buy this and get your learn on.
Justice Society of America: A Celebration of 75 Years HC, DC Comics. It’s all JSA, all the time this week, which is fine by me. These 75-year collections DC has been putting out have been great.
Wally Wood’s EC Comics Artisan Edition TPB, IDW Publishing. This new publishing initiative from IDW combines the original page art of the Artist’s Edition with a much more manageable size and price. The perfect way to bring people into IDW‘s beautiful art books who might have hesitated in the past. (It’s 8 x 12 and about $50 list, compared with $100-125-plus for the typical Artist’s Edition.)
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Aimee LoSecco, JHU Comic Books, Manhattan
Fables #150/Vol. 22 TPB, Vertigo. It is with both joy and regret that I pick this as my No. 1 this week. We’ve all loved this series and the characters, their many trials and travails, births, deaths and everything in between. But into everyone’s life a little rain must fall, and this is the last installment of Fables. Both the last trade paperback and Issue #150, this book has it all: the original creators on board, guest artists, side stories, a fold-out cover, and metallic ink! They’re pulling out all the stops for the finale, kids!
Wally Wood EC Comics Artisan Edition, IDW. OK, I can’t stand the word “artisan” because it’s also lumped in with “handcrafted” and used to death to describe soaps and scarves and sandwiches. I mean, how else are you gonna make a sammich other than using your damn hands?!
But I digress.
This “Artisan” format is a new, smaller, more affordable softcover version of the IDW Artist’s Editions you love but don’t have the room or swag for! Thank you, IDW!
Now you all know how I feel about Wally Wood, so this inaugural softcover makes me ridiculously happy. Still the same meticulous scans of his artwork as the larger-sized hardcover, but way easier to get your sweaty mitts on.
Power Up #1, Boom! This book may have been made for me. Written and drawn by Valkyrie founder and all-around awesome creator Kate Leth, Power Up follows the story of four people destined to receive powers at the point of planetary syzgy. One of them is named Amie and busts chops and the other is a goldfish. Sure, his name is Silas and mine is named Rufus, and our names are spelled a little differently, but DAYUM! Let the prophecy unfold!
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Ted Alexander, manager, Midtown Comics’ Downtown location, Manhattan
Archie vs. Sharknado one-shot, Archie. Combining one thing that I absolutely love with another thing that I hate with a passion, I wonder how I will feel after reading this. The Sharknado franchise has to be the dumbest thing ever put on television. I get why it’s so popular but it just encourages crappy mash-ups. I think it will work with Archie, because they can be a little campy as well. Sharknado fans should look at Archie vs. Predator (also out this week!) to see how well you can do tongue-in-cheek horror. Dan Parent is on board as a writer and artist so it will definitely keep that Archie charm.
Old Man Logan #3, Marvel. Easily my favorite Secret Wars title because it feels like a direct sequel to the original Old Man Logan. I understand that we’re going to see more of this character in the future. I’m a little torn by that because I enjoy Logan in his little universe, just trying to get by.
