Posted by Richard Pulfer on Sep 30th, 2008
I just got Neil Gaiman’s latest book - The Graveyard Book - in the mail. Just realized, this is a children’s book done in the style of Corraline - right down to the pencil illustrations from Sandman cover artist Dave McKean. It’s about a boy named Nobody raised in a graveyard by supernatural creatures. I haven’t read it yet, but I’ll provide a review closer to one of my favorite times of the year - Halloween.
On the Marvel side, everyone gets a Monkey variant, including Laurell K. Hamilton’s favorite vampire hunter, Anita Blake, whose comic book launches a new mini-series entitled The Laughing Corpse. I’ve not read the books, but I’ve heard pretty good things about them, and I’d definitely recommend the variant, which shows Anita Blake in a battle with the Marvel Universe to do what we all want to do to Marvel Apes - drive a stake through this abomination of comicdom.
Cable #7 has Bishop - now probably the most infamous rogue X-Men - traveling to present day in search of signs of Cable’s whereabouts with the baby. Fortuantely, the would-be baby killer is attacked by X-Force and Cyclops, who aren’t too happy to see the man who shot Charles Xavier. Of course, Bishop has a couple tricks up his sleeves.
And yes, it had to be time for Marvel Apes #3. Apparently the apes are plotting to attack the human homeworld Planet of the Apes style, and the only thing standing in the way of Ape-Vengers are our hero Gibbon and . . . yep . . . Speedball. I have to admit, parts of this mini-series sound funny - but it’s just not as funny as JLApe, especially after it tries to con the bloody and brutal style of Marvel Zombies.
On the DC side, Batman takes on both Club of Villains and the Joker in the last installment of Batman RIP in Batman #680. This major event in the Bat-mythos has kept Bat-fans guessing, and to make it even more worth your money, the issue also includes a dynamite cover by Alex Ross.
The trickster Anansi alters the future of the JLA, as Batman shoots his parent’s murderers, Wonder Woman retires and Supes and Green Lantern quarantine the world. All this as Vixen and Animal Man struggle with their changing powers. Written by Justice League Unlimited writer Dwayne McDuffie, this issue sounds like a heavy but refreshing turn away from Final Crisis.
Nightwing #149 has Dick Grayson up against what very well looks to be all or most of Batman’s Rogue gallery - the Joker, Poison Ivy, The Penguin, Two-Face and Mr. Freeze - while Batman is away facing the events of Batman RIP. Looking at these odds, I’m wondering if it should changed to Nightwing RIP?
The Clock King unveils a new team of villainous Titans known as the Terror Titans, and former Teen Titan Ravager is among their number. Tying directly into Final Crisis, the Clock King will lead this team right into the Dark Side Club while trying to reign in - and reign over - the DCU’s criminal element.
Meanwhile, soldiers from all across time face off with monsters and dinosaurs in the fan-favorite The War That Time Forgot #6. This just looks like a fun book with a lot of great forgotten war heroes throughout the DC Vaults.
That’s it for this week - catch ya later.
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Shawn M.
September 30, 2008 at 5:19 pm
I didn’t even know about the new Gaiman book — I’ll most definitely check it out. Coincidentally, I’ve been going back and re-reading Sandman this past week (which has, in turn, made me want to re-read American Gods again).
And I’m calling it here first. The next “big thing” that Marvel will do is “Marvel Pirates”. Just you wait and see.
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September 30th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
To which the competition will logically respond with “DC Ninjas,” and… oh, it won’t be pretty.
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