Shawn Says: Spotlight on New Releases December 29, 2010

In which Shawn looks at the New Releases and lets you know which books she is most excited about!

1) Detective Comics #872

Detective Comics is awesome! It is Batman at his absolute best. Scott Snyder is an amazing writer. He is able to hearken back to the classic detective nature of Batman and yet have it feel fresh and new. Jock’s art fits the main story perfectly. Plus, Francesco Francavilla’s art in the back-up is phenomenal! You seriously need to be reading this book!

2) Red Eyes Only #1

Written and drawn by Cully Hamner, Red Eyes Only #1 is a prequel to the Red comic book miniseries. The other one-shots that came out earlier this year were prequels to the movie. I am super excited to get to read this! Hamner is getting a lot of much deserved praise lately and I couldn’t be happier for him! He is a really sweet guy and I can’t wait to see what he has planned for us in 2011!

3) Shield #5

The secret history of the Marvel Universe is slowly being revealed. I must say that I am fascinated by this book. It is not your typical superhero comic book and I love that about it. It is really smart and has a lot of depth to it. I am not saying that I 100% “get it” just yet but I am thoroughly enjoying the ride. I never thought that I would be so into a comic that used Leonardo Da Vinci and Isaac Newton as characters but Jonathan Hickman’s writing on this is so good that it pulls me in. Dustin Weaver’s art on this book is amazing. I can’t wait for all of them to come out so I can sit down and read them in one sitting. Then maybe I can piece together all the pieces of the story.

Shawn Says: Spotlight on New Releases December 22, 2010

In which Shawn looks at the New Releases and lets you know which books she is most excited about!

1) Zatanna #8

In this issue of Zatanna she reveals her fear of puppets. As much as I love puppets I completely understand why she is freaked out by them. If what happened to her happened to me I would be freaked out too. I love Stephane Roux’s cover but then again you guys know about my love of muppets. The real draw to this issue is Cliff Chiang’s beautiful artwork. I am so excited that he will be on Zatanna for a three issue story arc! This is a great jumping on point for new readers and a very enjoyable story for long-time fans. Paul Dini knows how to write an entertaining book! And did I mention Cliff Chiang is doing the art?

2) Joe Hill’s The Cape One-Shot

This was not what I expected at all. Not in the slightest. I think this may have been the first Joe Hill book I have ever read. Despite Adam’s love for Locke and Key I haven’t ever read it (though I intend to). I have also heard great things about his novels, like Heart-Shaped Box, and I also intend to read some of those one day. In case you were wondering, this has nothing to do with the new TV show called The Cape. I really hope Hill puts out more comics like this one. I thoroughly enjoyed this one-shot despite the fact that it was a bit of a downer.

3) Green Lantern Larfleeze Christmas Special #1

If for no other reason you should pick this up just for the cookie recipe. You can also pick it up for the Art Baltazar and Franco story. I guess you can pick it up if you like Green Lantern, Larfleeze and/or Geoff Johns. And you most certainly can pick it up if you love Christmas. Merry Christmas everyone!

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Shawn Says: Spotlight on New Releases December 15, 2010

In which Shawn looks at the New Releases and lets you know which books she is most excited about!

1) Black Panther Man Without Fear #513

I stopped reading Daredevil before the Shadowland event but I am excited to jump back onto the Man Without Fear because the incomparable Francesco Franacavilla is doing the art! All I know is that Matt Murdock is no longer Daredevil and Black Panther is taking his place because he needs something to do now that he isn’t King of Wakanda. Or something like that. The art looks phenomenal and the story sounds really interesting. I am not too familiar with the writer, David Liss, but I think his background in historical fiction will bring a much needed fresh perspective to the Black Panther character.

2) Avengers vs Pet Avengers #3

This is a really fun book to read. All the Avengers have been turned into frogs and it is up to the Pet Avengers to save them. I love Ms. Lion, she is my favorite. Chris Eliopoulos and Ig Guara produce a great comic that is both action-packed and humorous. All the Pet Avengers books have been a delightful change of pace from the heavier Avengers books that have been coming out lately. If you like a good team-up book then you should definitely give this book a shot.

3) Mouse Guard Black Axe #1

David Petersen is back as writer and artist for this prequel to the first two volumes of Mouse Guard (Fall 1152 and Winter 1152). Black Axe is the origin story of the famed weapon. The story is set in 1115 as Celanawe tells the story about the mouse who first used the Black Axe. Petersen has created a diverse and wonderful fantasy story with rich characters and a broad universe full of tales. I hope he continues to wow us with beautiful art and fascinating storytelling.

Shawn Says: Spotlight on New Releases December 08, 2010

In which Shawn looks at the New Releases and lets you know which books she is most excited about!

1) Fables #100

I have been anxiously anticipating this issue for months now and I think I set my expectations a little too high. I did not get the closure that I had hoped for, but I suppose the same thing happened with the end of the war but it jumped into the Mr. Dark storyline (and then the Great Fables Crossover) so quickly that I didn’t really have time to think about it. Though I am sure if there was definitive closure I would not have been happy with it. I did really enjoy Fables #100. The action in the main story was awesome and I really loved the short stories and extras in the issue. Chrissie Zullo has a wonderful Thumbelina story! Joao Ruas does the art on a Three Blind Mice story and it is beautiful! Great story and a must read for any Fables fan.

2) Mystery Society #5

Perfect ending to a great comic. I especially loved the very last page. I really hope that there will be more Mystery Society in the future. At the very least I hope that Steve Niles and Fiona Staples will team up again sometime soon. I loved Nile’s playful writing mixed with Staples’s light art. This was really fun team-up book. I highly recommend it to anyone! You can listen to Adam and I talk about this book more in-depth on the Discussion: Last Minute Interlude show.

3) Northlanders #35

I love how Northlanders breaks up their big stories with one shots or short arcs. It really helps to let you breathe between the longer storylines. Northlanders can be a really depressing book but by breaking it up you make it more digestible. Not that the shorter stories are any less depressing. The latest story, The Girl in the Ice, is about an older man who finds a young girl in the ice. It is off to a really strong start. I love Becky Cloonan’s art on this issue (and in general) and Brian Wood can do no wrong. If you haven’t ever picked up an issue of Northlanders this is the perfect jumping on point. It is a great book but be warned, it is really heavy and dense.

Shawn Says: Spotlight on New Releases December 02, 2010

In which Shawn looks at the New Releases and lets you know which books she is most excited about!

1) Chip n Dale Rescue Rangers #1

Surprise, surprise! Shawn likes a Boom! Studios Kids book. I know I may sound like a broken record by now but I genuinely love these books! They are high quality, entertaining reads that appeal to a wide range of readers. Young kids will love the fun stories and older kids will be reminded of their childhood. They hearken back to a simpler time when cartoons were awesome and you couldn’t wait to get home from school to turn on the television to watch your favorite characters go on adventures. I can’t wait to relive my childhood with this book! Now all they have to do is launch a Gummi Bears book and I will be in heaven!

2) Edge of Doom #2

Steve Niles and Kelley Jones bring us a quirky series of stand-alone issues. This story centers around an astronaut lost on a far-off planet. Edge of Doom has a very Twilight Zone feel to it. The stories are bizarre but highly amusing. I love the twists and turns in this issue! Niles is a great writer. I don’t think he has disappointed me yet. And Jones’s art fits the tone of this book perfectly. I can’t wait to see what they come up with next!

3) Pinocchio Vampire Slayer GN vol 2

How can you not love a book titled Pinocchio Vampire Slayer? Pinocchio Vampire Slayer is written by Van Jensen with art by Dusty Higgins. Both are extremely talented creators. The first volume got rave reviews and it looks like volume two is even better than the first. Just by flipping through it you can tell that the art looks fantastic and the story looks super interesting. I am sure Adam and I will be talking about it in greater detail once we have actually read it. If you haven’t picked up the first volume do yourself a favor and check it out. Then make sure you pick up volume two!