STAFF PICKS :: COFFIN HILL #1 :: OCTOBER 08, 2013
HEATHER’S PICK :: COFFIN HILL #1: The weather’s getting cooler and a chill is setting in that will soon be welcoming Halloween and all manner of spirits into the season. Jump into the mood with a wonderfully creepy tale from Caitlin Kittredge and Inaki Miranda. Coffin Hill is the story of Eve and her transplanted from Salem family of witches. Eve has tried to escape her wicked past, but a workplace injury sends her back home. With dark magic and haunted woods, this new series from Vertigo is sure to be a scary good time.
MARC DEERING :: Inker: Supergirl, Legion
EVAN DORKIN :: Cartoonist: Milk & Cheese, DORK, Beasts of Burden, DC Nation
FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA :: Cartoonist: Black Beetle, Afterlife with Archie, Captain America
JUSTIN’S PICK :: GOD HATES ASTRONAUTS : This is comics. Unbridled imagination and compulsion. [adult swim] without the brackets. I can’t really tell you exactly what Ryan Browne‘s God Hates Astronauts is “about”; I can tell you it is one of the most wildly entertaining (and therefore endearing) books I’ve read in some time. This is the comic that that Axe Cop kid would make if he had access to an unsecured Internet connection and a time machine. GHA falls vaguely under the “superhero” umbrella, and while it may have a parodic tone, it’s not taking the piss. Rather, it’s a love letter to a vilified sub-sub-genre, much like Jim Rugg and Brian Maruca‘s exemplary Afrodisiac. This will not please readers of extreme indie or mainstream bias, as it’s a Frankenstein’s Monster of the two, but fans of humor and creativity will be delighted. I mean, the cast includes a character called King Tiger Eating a Cheeseburger. If that doesn’t entice you, I’d suggest you stop reading comics altogether and take up a more meditative hobby, such as soap making, or maybe carp farming.
This is the last time I swear it (fingers crossed). But what is it going to take to get you folks to try ASTRO CITY– the amazing series by writer Kurt Busiek, artist Brent Anderson and cover artist/designer Alex Ross. So far the most recent series–this time from Vertigo comics– has been a delight. in four issues Astro city has addressed the pressure and responsibility that falls on the heads of call center reps who take, log and dispatch emergency calls to the Honor Guard (this world’s Avengers or JLA) We have met a group of super-powered folks who won’t do the hero thing and we met this world’s Celestials–sort of. This month– there are some secrets in the city’s past before it became Astro City(!) and the Broken Man (sort of a cross between The Phantom Stranger and The Creeper (at least I think that’s what he is)) is trying to sort theses secrets out. Please try this book and then I promise I will leave you alone (maybe).
SETH’S PICK :: SHAOLIN COWBOY #1: On the surface, Shaolin Cowboy might seem an uncommon staff pick from the likes of me. There’s not much depth by way of story, its violence is downright gratuitous, and character development is eschewed for visual antics. Yet, I find myself frequently including this book among my favorites. Geof Darrow is undoubtedly a master of the form, capable of drawing expansive single paneled pages and highly detailed action scenes with multiple characters. That’s undeniable, but is really just a part of why I love this book. Darrow imbues each page with joyous energy. Even if it’s a bloody scene, Darrow seems to relish the opportunity to put his silent protagonist through the ringer, confident that somehow they’ll both live to see the tale’s end. As a result, the book feels like Darrow is drawing exactly what he wants, giddily following his muse wherever it may lead. In this way, Shaolin Cowboy feels like the work of a seasoned jazz improviser soloing at the front of the stage. But like any experienced jazz musician, you know Darrow laid the groundwork for his solo with years of practice and discipline. This is the kind of book that makes me happy to have the opportunity to write about comics for this blog. 
Fan-favorite character Fantomex is getting his own is getting his very own limited series featuring covers by fan-favorite artist Francesco Francavilla. I used up all the F’s!
SETH’S PICK :: CATALYST COMIX #4: This has been one of my favorite go-to sleeper series in recent months. Joe Casey has brought new life to some of Dark Horse’s old super hero properties from the nineties. His writing alone warrants a read, but the biggest selling point for me is that each issue features three different stories following three sets of protagonists. The artists who bring this triad to life are top notch creators like Dan McDaid, Ulises Farinas, and Paul Maybury. This combination produces bright, colorful, kinetic super hero comics, and best of all, you don’t need to have read any of the lackluster nineties stories to follow what’s going on here. And if that wasn’t enough for you, the cover artists in regular rotation are Paul Pope, Raphael Grampa, and Brendan McCarthy, all of whom are perfect fits for this fun, bizarre super hero series. 
