SETH’S PICK :: LITTLE NEMO: RETURN TO SLUMBERLAND #1: Though an obvious statement, it’s worth noting that Winsor McCay’s Little Nemo stories revolutionized the way cartoonists approached panels and pages. It’s hard to believe that a newspaper strip now over 100 years old was able to employ such imagination and craft. There have been more recent forays into Slumberland, but most of those have existed within non-comics forms like video games and animated films. IDW’s ambitious new Little Nemo series marks the first time in decades that we’ve seen new all ages Slumberland stories in comics. To tackle such a daunting project, IDW tapped Eric Shanower and Gabriel Rodriguez to bring Nemo to the modern era. With decades of work adapting the Oz stories for comics, Shanower is a natural choice for this effort. While I’m not as familiar with the work of Rodriguez, it’s hard to deny the popularity of his work on Locke and Key. Little Nemo has been around for over a century, but there’s still a multitude of comics fan who have likely never read any of those original strips. Hopefully this series will be a success and new readers will discover the genius of Winsor McCay. Just in case you need an example of McCay’s original Nemo genius – we all could use that reminder: 

RICO’S PICK :: ZOMBILLENIUM HC VOL 02: HUMAN RESOURCES: Zombillenium, the horror-themed amusement park run by actual monsters is back! This volume once again showcases Arthur de Pins trademark lively tongue-in-cheek cartooning. The man is a master. Fans of Kyle Baker’s older work will love this! Please let us know if you missed the volume 1 of this GORGEOUS album of comics by this French cartoonist and we’ll order it for you if we don’t have it in stock.

SETH’S PICK :: CAPTAIN VICTORY AND THE GALACTIC RANGERS #1: One of Jack Kirby’s last great series gets a shot of new energy this week. It’s written by Joe Casey, who wrote one of my favorite series in recent history, Dark Horse’s Catalyst Comix. Similarly to that book, Captain Victory teams Casey with a variety of talented artists to tell an offbeat sci-fi superhero story. This time around Casey teams up with Nathan Fox, Jim Rugg, Ulises Farinas, Ben Marra, Farel Dalrymple, Michel Fiffe and more, all creators who happen to make some of today’s most consistently inventive comics.  The preview pages suggest that these artists brought plenty of joy and enthusiasm to Kirby’s world, and I can’t wait to see their work on this underrated property.

SETH’S PICK:: LOW #1: What I won’t do with this recommendation is to go on and on about why I love Rick Remender’s comics. That’s been done already. What I can do is talk about the concept behind this promising new Image comic. The story is set at the bottom of the ocean, where humanity was forced to go after the sun’s enlargement turned the Earth’s surface into an uninhabitable wasteland. While that alone could offer plenty of interesting stories, the twist is that the remnants of humanity receive notice that one of the probes they sent ages ago to discover more suitable planets finally returned. Unfortunately, it returned to that irradiated nightmare that is the Earth’s surface. With a strong writer and a strong concept, there’s plenty to be excited about in this new series. This time around, however, I’m most interested in seeing the work of artist Greg Tocchini. The multitude of sci-fi and fantasy elements here seem ready-made for his work to flourish in, and the preview pages released strongly reflect that. If you need even more Remender comics this week, don’t forget that his other excellent sci-fi series Black Science also returns this week with issue seven and a new story arc. 

SETH’S PICKS: The week of San Diego Comic Con is always one where publishers unload lots of big titles. This week is no exception. In fact, there are so many notable titles that I couldn’t limit my Staff Pick to a mere single book. Let the lightning round begin!

1) Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1: As with most ’80s children, I loved both of these toy-cartoon-comics. The adult in me, however, hasn’t paid much attention to either franchise. Leave it to writer/artist Tom Scioli to be the creator to pull me back in. Aside from Scioli’s always impressive Kirby-inspired art, I must say that it was his obvious enthusiasm for this project that he displayed in conversation at HeroesCon that makes this the book I’m most looking forward to this week. 

2) Street Angel HC: Jim Rugg is a creator whose work always demands attention. Though this is a new repackaging of Street Angel, it’s printed in a larger format than the original collection. If comics can do with more of anything, it’s larger Jim Rugg art. Plus, since this new collection is brought to you by Adhouse Books, you know it’ll be a handsome publication. 

3) Avengers 100th Anniversary Special: James Stokoe writes and draws this one shot. It features future versions of Doctor Strange, Beta Ray Bill and Rogue. That’s about all you need to know about this one. If for some reason you aren’t familiar with Stokoe’s Orc Stain and Wonton Soup, here’s your opportunity to discover a comics giant-in-the-making.

4) Ragnarok #1: This is Walt Simonson’s new creator owned project for IDW. It happens to be a Norse-themed book, which we all know Simonson to excel at. I could go on, but do you really need another reason to look at this besides Simonson?

5) Supreme: Blue Rose #1: Warren Ellis writes this new chapter of the Supreme saga. While that alone will be enough to entice some readers, the art is provided by Tula Lotay. Some of you may not be familiar with her beautiful work, but you will be soon enough. Don’t forget that Lotay will be signing at Heroes next Tuesday, July 29, so make sure to pick up your copy this week. 

6) Hellboy Artist’s Edition: IDW continues their barrage of epic artist editions with Mike Mignola’s Hellboy. Giant format Mignola art painstakingly reproduced from the original pages? If that doesn’t warrant a spot on your bookshelf, I don’t know what will.

7) Guardians of the Galaxy: The Complete Abnett and Lanning Collection vol. 1: We’re only a week away from the Guardians of the Galaxy film. This series was a primary influence on the new film, and since speculators have driven the cost of the single issues and original collections sky high, here’s an affordable chance to see where it all started. In my opinion, this was a fun, inventive series that never got its due when first published. Even if you don’t care about seeing the movie, I think this is the Guardians series most worth your time.

JUSTIN’S PICK :: DISNEY MICKEY MOUSE HC VOL 05 OUTWITS THE PHANTOM BLOT: Here’s a comic nerd SAT analogy for you: Carl Barks : Donald Duck :: Floyd Gottfredson : Mickey Mouse. Fantagraphics continues their handsome reprints of Gottfredson’s definitive work on Disney’s beloved mascot with this fifth volume. Before he was a ubiquitous shill, Mickey was an adventurer through and through, as these strips testify. Volume five pits Mickey against (arguably) his greatest villain: the Phantom Blot. Actually the creation of Gottfredson himself, the Blot is a brilliant example of minimalist design, evoking menace and mystery, making him a compelling villain indeed. And just wait ‘til you see his unmasking…no spoilers! Great for fans young and young-at-heart, these books are also a keen reminder of the tactile pleasures print media offers.

RICO’S PICK :: SECONDS: Seconds is the new book by Lost at Sea and Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O’Malley. I’m going into this new book pretty much blind aside from a few character designs I’ve see online. Nathan Fairbairn colored this 300+ page book and we already KNOW he and Bryan look great together from seeing the recent color versions of the Scott Pilgrim series. Super nice lettering is provided by Heroes pal Dustin Harbin. I’m very excited for this one, check it out tomorrow!

ANDY’S PICK :: BATMAN: A CELEBRATION OF 75 YEARS: It seems like every time you turn around there is another HC Celebration of one character or another. They all blend into a kind of expensive jumble. But BATMAN: A CELEBRATION OF 75 YEARS really stands out. The editors at DC have put together one heck of a collection. This 432 (!) page book includes the following landmark tales: DETECTIVE COMICS #27 (1st appearance!), 83 (Alfred!), 211 (Catwoman!), 216 (The Batman of the Future!), 327 (First New Look!), 359 (Batgirl!), 395 (Secret of the Waiting Graves!), 442 (Toth!), 474 (Rogers/Austin/Deadshot!), 574 (Origin revamp plus Alan Davis!), 633 (Milligan!), 711 (Knight Out!) , 757 (Air Time!) and 821 (Dini /Williams!), BATMAN #1 (Joker!), 49 (Vicki Vale!), 181 (Poison Ivy!), 497 (Batman needs to see a chiropractor), BATMAN #2 (from THE NEW 52), WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #94 (The Supes/Bats Team Origin!), DC SPECIAL SERIES #21 (Frank Miller!) and BATMAN SPECIAL #1 (The Wrath!) This is going to be a great party and everyone’s invited!!