Another week another batch o’ comics. Today I got: Love and Rockets 17, Scarlet Traces: The Great Game 3, Ex Machina 23, and the Escapists 3.
I also picked up a high end magazine ($19.99!) about comic art. It is called “Comic Art” and this is issue eight Summer 2006. I have never seen or read this mag before but what made me buy it was the little chapbook “Forty Cartoon Books of Interest” by Seth that was packaged with it. Seth is one of my favorite cartoonists so what the hey. The mag looks interesting with articles about Drew Friedman, prank magic art (from old comic ads), some New Yorker Stuff, and even Jim Starlin’s Warlock. I have to warn you, though, that it has one of the worst covers I’ve ever seen. It’s a twenty first century designer’s take on a Miro sort of surrealism. You’ve seen this derivative stuff before and it’s just awful. Sixth rate surrealism eighty years late. I only picked up the magazine because I couldn’t believe the cover was so bad. Sorry whoever did the cover but I think it’s a swing and a miss.
Of last weeks new series I tried: The Cross Bronx 1: ehh. Not very interesting cop story. I’m done with it. American Splendor 1: I’ve never been a huge Harvey Pekar fan but I liked this issue and will pick up more as they come out. The Lone Ranger 1 : I liked it. It was very well done and I’ll put it on my pull list. Mystery in Space with Captain Comet: half good half bad. Not good enough to make the cut though.
I almost picked up Cross Bronx Wednesday, but decided not to. I dig Oeming’s art, and used to read Powers, but after flipping through it nothing caught my eye so I put it back.
I just sold my Powers hardcover on eBay a few weeks ago. I loved the Retro Girl storyline, but I don’t think they’ve been able to top that story. I gave them about 12 issues when they switched to Icon Comics, but dropped it when they got into the cosmic stuff. I wish they’d get back to just cops investigating superheroes. That’s such a great premise for a comic, unfortunately they abandoned that angle for blah cosmic stuff.
On a related note, I turned around and picked up 3 great Calvin and Hobbes books with the money I got for the Powers Hardcover… sweet trade.