STAFF PICKS :: HALF PAST DANGER #3 :: JULY 17, 2013
SETH’S PICK :: HALF PAST DANGER #3: There are several interesting titles out this week (Batman ’66 #1, Paul Pope’s Death of Haggard West, The Love and Rockets Companion, Seagle and Kristiansen’s Genius, Brandon Graham’s Walrus), but I’m opting to bring Half Past Danger to your attention. This action adventure series from IDW is pretty straightforward, but very much a breath of fresh air. It’s essentially an adventure series, but in the first two issues has already delivered on its promise of Dames, Dinosaurs and Danger. It features all of those elements (and ninjas!) set against the backdrop of World War II. More than that, it’s executed wonderfully by writer/artist Stephen Mooney and colorist Jordie Bellaire, who is quickly becoming to colorists what Francesco Francavilla is to cover artists. This series feels like it was produced by people who love old action and adventure comics and films, and doesn’t shy away from displaying its exuberance. Best of all, this is the perfect kind of comic to offer you a break from the big, shiny summer events of super hero books. 
ANDY’S PICK :: TALES OF BATMAN: ARCHIE GOODWIN HARDCOVER: You’re probably familiar with the award winning Batman/Manhunter story serialized in Detective Comics 437-443 from 1974 written by Archie Goodwin and illustrated by then newcomer Walt Simonson. It is justifiably famous and considered a classic. Now DC is offering a very affordable (40 bucks for almost 500 pages!) collection of Archie Goodwin penned Batman tales that includes the complete Manhunter saga along with the equally famous Batman: Night Cries GN with gorgeous art by Scott Hampton, Detective Annual #3 with art by Dan Jurgens, 2 short stories from Batman in Black and White with art by Jose Munoz and Gary Gianni and Siege–the story Goodwin left unfinished at the time of his death (and completed by James Robinson) with art by Marshall Rogers from Legends of the Dark Knight #132-136. Goodwin was one of the best writers from the pre- British Invasion mainstream. This is an ideal showcase of Goodwin’s formidable talents.
JUSTIN’S PICK :: BATMAN ’66 #1: I was gonna start this write-up with a “Holy ______, Batman!” joke, but let’s buck convention and skip it. It seems nowadays, the majority of Batman’s fanbase exhibits a slavish devotion to the “dark”, “realistic”, “grim ‘n gritty” take on the character that Neal Adams initiated, and Frank Miller solidified. It’s often taken for granted just how outlandish and ridiculous the entire premise of Batman is (but I guess when you think critically, that’s any superhero). On the other end of the spectrum, you have the TV show’s garish, Warholian take on everyone’s favorite playboy vigilante, and that interpretation was also pushed to its grossest extremes, unquestionably. But visually, the 60s Batman show was a technicolor wonderland, taking full advantage of the potential of its nascent medium, just as the character had a couple decades earlier in the comics. Does it play on nostalgia? Certainly. Could it go horribly, terribly awry? Of course! Could it be a lot of fun? Well, that depends on your sensibilities. For me, a kid who grew up on reruns and dusty old comics, it’s likely to be right up my alley. The quality talents of Jeff Parker and Jonathan Case don’t hurt the book’s chances, and Mike Allred covers are always a bonus.
RICO’S PICK :: BEST OF EC ARTIST’S EDITION: This Artist’s Edition features some of the most beautiful art so far in this series of oversized art books from IDW. I’m going to enjoy seeing life-size reproductions of the original art from the hands of these masters! It features 50 Girls 50 by Al Williamson and Frank Frazetta, The Corpse by Harvey Kurtzman, The Flying Machine by Bernie Krigstein, Touch and Go by Johnny Craig, Judgment Day by Joe Orlando. All these plus more! And a cover gallery crammed with more EC goodness!
