Drax, Klaus, Bond and Hercules. That’s a lotta man right there …—
Aimee LoSecco, JHU Comic Books, Manhattan
Drax #1, Marvel Comics. Want a space action comic with tough-as-nails heroes, ugly-ass bad guys, and tons of vengeance, brawls and adventure? This is your book. Cullen Bunn, from Lobo and Deadpool fame, takes on this brawny anti-hero. Apparently this dude C.M. Punk is writing too. He’s like a tattooed-up Wolverine and some sort of a big deal, the wrestling people tell me. Buy it!
Klaus #1, Boom! Studios. Grant Morrison puts to paper the origin of Santa Claus. Yes. I know what I wrote. Much different from the Rankin-Bass stop-motion animated classic, Grant delves into the darker side of Klaus. Come on, did you really expect a cutesy version or the wolfskin-clad Viking version?
Avengers Paint-By-Numbers: Five Classic Scenes, Marvel. Someone please buy this for me. I need to tipsy-paint this with my pals over spiked hot chocolate. Comes with a book so you can bone up on your Avengers lore when you sober up.
SIP Kids TPB, Abstract Studios. The entire series is collected in this 80-page trade. Missed an issue? Don’t worry. This book has each seasonal issue, full of the wee characters you know and love! Perfect for the Peanuts fan, kid looking to branch out past Calvin & Hobbes, and rabid Terry Moore fan.
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Ted Alexander, manager, Midtown Comics’ Downtown location, Manhattan
James Bond: VARGR #1, Dynamite. It’s been 20 years since there has been a James Bond comic? How can that be? Well, just in time for Spectre opening this week is a whole new series. I’m not sure if I am more excited for a James Bond comic or the fact that Warren Ellis is writing it. (For 007 WEEK coverage of this book, click here.)
We Stand On Guard #5, Image. I know it’s pretty well known, but Brian K. Vaughan is a good writer. Every issue of this series makes me love it more and more. Each issue is more over-the-top than the last one and the action gets better and better.
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Dimitrios Fragiskatos, manager, Midtown Comics’ Grand Central location, Manhattan
Hercules #1, Marvel Comics. One of my favorite comics of all time was Incredible Hercules by Pak, Van Lente and Stegman. That series beautifully interwove stories of the Marvel Universe with classic stories from the ancient myths. This helped develop Herc from being the guy who blindly sided with Cap and Hulk in Civil War and World War Hulk, into an updated, multifaceted character. His duality with Amadeus Cho offered the best comic pair this side of Archer and Armstrong. Dan Abnett and Luke Ross are two of my favorite creators in comics — and Abnett has a real talent for staying true to the previously established personalities of a character. You better believe I’m looking forward to this series.
