Hello, Comics Fans!
Sean Von Gorman
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By CHRISTY BLANCH
Let’s get right to the picks!
Doctor Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme #2 by Robbie Thompson, Javier Rodriguez, Alvaro Lopez, Joe Caramagna with colors by the amazing Jordie Bellaire. I’m a big fan of Jordie’s work and the colors are so important in a Doctor Strange book! I loved the first issue of this series and really loved this one! In a time when I really want magic to be real, this book took me away to a place where it is, but not a perfect place by any means. I already love these characters and I agree with “Alone Bad.” Check this series out!
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Action Lab’s Athena Voltaire and the Volcano Goddess #1 by Steven Bryant with Jim Nelson is super fun! It’s a journey into the times of pulp, much like Raiders of the Lost Ark, with magic and rituals and beasts. It’s just a blast to read! Plus, there are Nazis getting beat up, which is one of my favorite things! And if you haven’t checked out Steve’s Athena Voltaire compendium, it’s out now and is also great. It sits on my shelf at home next to Promethea and Swamp Thing. It’s SO good!
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Finally, Super Powers #1 from DC and Art Baltazar and Franco. Based on the toy line, this book is nothing but pure fun. One panel had me laughing so hard I had to stop reading for a minute. The biggest decision I had to make with this book was whether to get Art’s cover or Franco’s variant cover, which are both awesome! (I just got both!) If you have kids or you are just a kid at heart, this is a book you don’t want to miss.
Art
Franco
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As an extra, I’m adding A.D. After Death Book One. I’ve been waiting for this for so long. It’s from Image, Scott Snyder and Jeff Lemire, with Steve Wands doing the lettering (which is amazing in this book). This book is fantastic. I wasn’t sure what to think about it when I started reading it, but come on, it’s Scott and Jeff. When I finished this first chapter, I had all sorts of feelings. Not just about the contents of the book but how I can be a better writer. Scott taps into some really deep emotions. His description of things like “the scraping of a chair or the thud of a foot” (no spoilers) really stuck with me the rest of the evening and even into the next day. And do I really need to mention anything about Lemire’s art? Please, it sells itself. And I think the whole idea of feeling “lighter” is important right now. I picture that word, too, Scott.
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Lightning Round: The amazing Black Eyed Kids #9 from AfterShock, Joe Pruett and Szymon Kudranski continues to be one of the best and creepiest comics I am reading! … Marvel’s Civil War II #7 from Brian Michael Bendis, David Marquez, Justin Ponsor and the rest of the team is keeping me on my toes. This issue went from a “looking forward to what is going to happen” reaction to a “WHAT WILL HAPPEN??” one. … And Marvel’s Venom #1, from Mike Costa, Gerardo Sandoval and Dono Sanchez Almara, is fun!
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It’s Thanksgiving week and I already wrote a column about what I am thankful for, so I won’t go into that (but you can read it HERE). I just hope that all the sharing and love and “pay it forward” attitudes that I saw this week can continue through and past this holiday season.
And during this season, I am going to ask you to try and buy locally from small businesses. I know it’s really easy to push a button on your phone and have something delivered. And it may hurt your wallet a bit to spend an extra dollar or two by buying a book at a local shop rather than a large chain, but think about it this way: In 10 years, are you going to miss that few dollars? Most likely no. If you buy with a button, will you have a memory of when you found the perfect present? Probably not. But if you help support local shops, especially local comic book shops, you not only help the community but you make a memory. A memory for you and the person getting the gift. I guess I’m asking more of you than to just shop locally. I’m asking you to join your local community — get to know your shop owners. Make visiting them the “norm” — I feel a Cheers joke here but I am resisting. Just try it and see what happens.
Shop local!
I mentioned in my “What I’m Thankful for in Comics” column that I am thankful for comic shops. They are my happy place. I want all of you to be able to have that, too. You will find that your shop owners and the people who work there love comics and love to talk about pop culture. They are awesome.
But I do need to rectify one omission from my column. I did mention I am thankful for my friends and my punny friends, but I feel I need to give a special thanks to my store partners. Art Baltazar, Franco Aureliani, Marc Hammond, Rose Baltazar, Kurt Wood, Mike Negin, Mike Pellerito and the rest of the Aw Yeah crew are the best business partners I could ask for. They are Aw Yeah awesome and make my life better.
And a big thank you to Kyle Roberts, Sy Stiner, Grace Blanch, Robb Weidensall and Chris Curry for helping me out at my shop in Muncie, Ind. I couldn’t do it without you all! You are the best.
So comics friends, go to your local shops this year and make your neighborhood a community. It will make a big difference in your life and bring your community to life. Until next week, keep reading comics, keep being nice to each other, and keep reading 13th Dimension. (Shameless plug!)
Toodle-Pip!
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