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X-Men: Misfits Vol. 1

Written by Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman
Drawn by Anzu
192 pages, black and white
Published by Del Rey

X-Men: Misfits is the second of two manga-influenced comics from Del Rey that feature characters licensed from Marvel. The first, Wolverine: Prodigal Son felt squarely aimed at boys and influenced by shonen comics, with Wolverine going through tests of skill and becoming a master of martial arts even while he’s unable to fight the battles of friendship. X-Men: Misfits, then, is more of a shojo comic and aiming towards female readers. With Kitty Pryde being the only female student at Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, she’s the belle of the ball even while she is torn between two different camps of boys. Sounds an awful lot like all sorts of shojo comics out there to me.

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What a Wonderful World! Vol. 1

By Inio Asano
208 pages, black and white
Published by Viz

When I read Inio Asano’s Solanin at the start of the year, I remember hoping that more of Asano’s works would be translated into English; Solanin had just the right mixture of angst, aimlessness, and growing up all wrapped up in its emotional core. Clearly I wasn’t the only person wanting to see more comics by Asano; Viz is now publishing one of his earlier works, the two-volume What a Wonderful World! collection of short stories. Both volumes hit stores this week, but I was lucky enough to dip into the first half early, and it’s a joy getting to read more Asano and his stories about people whose lives are on the brink of crisis.

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Festering Romance

By Renee Lott
184 pages, black and white
Published by Oni Press

I almost feel bad in saying this, but at times Festering Romance didn’t feel like a graphic novel, but rather an illustrated movie pitch. Renee Lott’s graphic novel has it all built in; a small cast, a simple setting, and a strong core idea involving a potential romantic relationship being hindered by each of them hiding the ghost in their lives. And you know something? I think Festering Romance would have the potential to make a ton of money at the box office, with "hit" written all over it.

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Neptune

By Aron Nels Steinke
160 pages, black and white
Published by Sparkplug Comic Books and Tugboat Press

Sometimes all it takes to attract a reader is an attractive cover. Aron Nels Steinke’s Neptune is the sort of book whose cover promises exactly what it delivers on the inside. It’s a simple illustration style with a surprising amount of detail the more you look at it, and with the promise of fun. There’s an innocence about the cover too, and I think that’s the best way to describe the experience of reading Neptune. I’ve enjoyed Steinke’s short stories in Papercutter up until now, but now that I’ve read an extended story by him I want to see more.

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Marvels Project #1-2

Written by Ed Brubaker
Art by Steve Epting
32 pages, color
Published by Marvel

I picked up The Marvels Project #1-2 without knowing a single thing about the comic, save its creative team. Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting’s work on Captain America was enough of a selling point for me that a new collaboration by the pair seemed like a must-buy item. What I found was a story set in the late ’30s, as America was not yet plunged into World War II and the original Human Torch was being created. As someone whose main exposure to Marvel comics set in that era is Marvels #1, though? I’m utterly enthralled.

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Awakening Vol. 1

Written by Nick Tapalansky
Art by Alex Eckman-Lawn
144 pages, color
Published by Archaia

I think it’s safe to say, at this point, that everywhere you turn there’s a new zombie-related story being told. Movies, books, television shows, comics, video games, even works of classic literature are all being invaded by the walking dead. What that means, though, is that you really need to stand apart from everyone else if you’re going to try and spring a zombie story on your audience. Or at least, that’s the common train of thought. The thing is, I’m growing increasingly convinced that people are concentrating so much on the twist that they are losing sight of just telling a solid story.

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Ball Peen Hammer

Written by Adam Rapp
Art by George O’Connor
144 pages, color
Published by First Second Books

I have to hand it to Adam Rapp. When I first picked up Ball Peen Hammer, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’d never seen anything by him before (even though he’s written novels, plays, and directed films), so I was going into the story blindly. And with hindsight, the book’s cover did warn me somewhat of the experience to come, with its stark black cover and single, slightly disturbing image. But by the time I was done with Ball Peen Hammer, I felt somewhat stunned, as if I’d gotten on a familiar bus route and somehow ended up in Hell.

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Modesty Blaise: The Lady Killers

Written by Peter O’Donnell
Art by Neville Colvin
104 pages, black and white
Published by Titan Books

It’s been well over a decade since a friend of mine lent me some dog-eared, beaten up Modesty Blaise reprints. I’d never heard of Peter O’Donnell’s femme fatale at the time, but they were a fun, pulpy group of adventures that let a woman kick butt as well (and better) than her male counterparts. What I didn’t know until just recently, though, was that Titan Books started a definitive Modesty Blaise collected series just a few years ago, and it’s already up to fifteen volumes. Reading Modesty Blaise: The Lady Killers now not only lets me flash back to the fun experience of reading some similar stories all those years ago, but I now also have a greater appreciation for O’Donnell’s writing.

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Young Lovecraft Vol. 1

Written by Jose Oliver
Art by Bartolo Torres
104 pages, black and white
Published by Kettledrummer Books and Diabolo Ediciones S.L.

I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for young and cute characters running into the ancient gods of H.P. Lovecraft’s creation. There’s something funny about kids encountering Cthulhu or Yog-Sothoth, in all their hideous glory. That’s why I absolutely could not pass up Young Lovecraft, because it felt almost like someone had created a comic strip with me especially in mind.

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Fantastic Four #570

Written by Jonathan Hickman
Art by Dale Eaglesham
32 pages, color
Published by Marvel Comics

I can’t remember the last time I read Fantastic Four on an ongoing basis. It was probably back when Walter Simonson wrote the book, and that run ended in 1991. I’ve certainly heard good things about some of the runs over the years since then, but it hasn’t been until Jonathan Hickman took over that I’ve decided to give the title another stab. Hickman’s work on books like Pax Romana and Secret Warriors promised, if nothing else, that it wouldn’t just be more of the same old superheroics.

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