Have you guys read the new Marvel and DC solicits? I love comics, but those things are a bore and a half. It’s like they don’t even want you to read their books.

It’s cool, though. Here are the ones that are new and good and interesting. Jumping-on points only here, with one exception, perhaps. My pithy and vitally important commentary is in italics.

DC Comics is first since Marvel is better!

BATMAN #667
Written by Grant Morrison
Art and cover by J.H. Williams III
The Batmen of All Nations reunite for a weekend of fine food and nostalgia, but an unexpected visitor has other plans for the gathering. Batman, Robin, and the rest of the Club of Heroes find themselves trapped and at the mercy of a dangerous madman on the Island of Mister Mayhew!
This is why I read Grant Morrison. Mad ideas that sound completely goofy. He’s Silver Age with a Modern Age sensibility. Plus, I hope the sweet Knight and Squire from JLA Classified 1-3 shows up.

ROBIN #163
Written by Adam Beechen
Art by Freddie E. Williams II
Cover by Patrick Gleason & Wayne Faucher
It’s Tim Drake’s first Father’s Day as Bruce Wayne’s adopted son, and he wants everything to be just right. Unfortunately, the justice-crazed supervillains known as The Jury pick that very day to go on a murder spree in Gotham City!
This is a great idea for a story. The “family” part of Bat-family doesn’t get looked at often enough. “The Jury,” though, conjures up images of a certain ’90s anti-Venom team.

BATMAN: HARLEY & IVY TP
Written by Paul Dini and Judd Winick
Art by Bruce Timm, Joe Chiodo and others
Cover by Timm
Paul Dini and Bruce Timm -two of the masterminds behind Batman: The Animated Series – join forces in this volume collecting the miniseries BATMAN: HARLEY AND IVY! Also included is the special: HARLEY AND IVY: LOVE ON THE LAM by Judd Winick and Joe Chiodo, plus a newly-colored story rom BATMAN BLACK AND WHITE VOL. 2!
It’s Harley Quinn, so shut up and buy it.

ALL STAR SUPERMAN #8
Written by Grant Morrison
Art by Frank Quitely & Jamie Grant
Cover by Quitely
The Daily Planet regulars hole up as the terrifying Bizarro plague spreads across Metropolis! Superman’s trapped in the reverse madness of a dying Bizarro World! It’s ALL STAR thrills from every angle, delivered by Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely and Jamie Grant!
GM on Bizarro. Come on, it’s going to be awesome.

JACK KIRBY’S FOURTH WORLD OMNIBUS VOL. 2 HC
Written by Jack Kirby
Art and cover by Kirby and Mike Royer
Continuing the 4-book series collecting the work of Jack Kirby! DC collects four series – THE NEW GODS, THE FOREVER PEOPLE, MISTER MIRACLE and SUPERMAN’S PAL JIMMY OLSEN – in chronological order as they originally appeared. These comics spanned galaxies, from the streets of Metropolis to the far-flung worlds of New Genesis and Apokolips, as cosmic-powered heroes and villains struggled for supremacy.
In this second volume, collecting NEW GODS #4-6 ,FOREVER PEOPLE #4-6, JIMMY OLSEN #141-145 and MISTER MIRACLE #4-6 , the evil Darkseid’s schemes continue to unfold while the New Gods, Forever People, Mr. Miracle and other heroes battle his many minions!
I’ve been waiting to read the Fourth World stuff until DC put out some proper trades of it. Looks like my time has come!

SHAZAM: THE MONSTER SOCIETY OF EVIL #4
Written by Jeff Smith
Art and cover by Smith
The final installment of the acclaimed miniseries by Jeff Smith throws the Marvel family against the Monster Society of Evil itself! Their only hope of surviving and saving the world as we know it is that they’re too young to realize what they’re really up against!
Buy this series to spite Judd Winick.

THE SPIRIT #7
Written by Kyle Baker, Jimmy Palmiotti and Walter Simonson
Art by Kyle Baker, Jordi Bernet, Chris Sprouse & Karl Story
Cover by Darwyn Cooke
A Spirit Summer Special featuring a trio of tales! We start off with a supermodel gone bad, then follow a path of intrigue through an old tenement building, and finish off with an unjustly accused cabbie. Three stories with humor and heart, told in the best tradition of the Spirit.
Kyle Baker and Walter Simonson on one book? With Chris Sprouse? Jordi Bernet? Sold.

NINJA SCROLL #10
Written by J. Torres
Art by Michael Chang Ting Yu
Cover by Jonboy Meyers
The lone wolf’s new “cub” is not what he seems! But what does the young wannabe warrior really want with Jubei? And what is his connection to Jubei’s dark past? Find out in the climactic conclusion of “Musko” as we unravel more of the mystery that is Jubei Kibagami!
Ninja Scroll is one of my favorite cartoons, and mixing it up with Lone Wolf & Cub, another favorite, is a brilliant idea. It helps that this series has been shockingly quality.

MARVEL COMICS is next!
MYTHOS: SPIDER-MAN
Written by Paul Jenkins, art and cover by Paolo Rivera.
Continuing the prestigious series showcasing the origins of the greatest heroes in the Marvel Universe! Find out how Spider-Man’s super hero career began in a fully-painted recounting of the origin of the original hard-luck hero.
I am comfortable in being the only person in the world who likes these comics. Paolo Rivera is tops.

SPIDER-MAN FAIRY TALES #2
Written by C.B. Cebulski, art and cover by Niko Henrichon.
The legend of Kwaku Anansi, the First Spider, melds with the Marvel Universe as Anansi learns a valuable lesson about power and responsibility. On his quest for the legendary Spider-Orchid, Anansi is challenged by four elemental beings who seek to stop him from reaching his goal. Will Anansi be able to overcome the villainous forces of air, water, sand and fire to complete his journey and take his next steps in life?
Oh, I am all over this one. I love the Fairy Tales books, and Henrichon’s art is incredible. Funny how Marvel grabbed him up after he released a big-selling book at DC, innit?

AVENGERS CLASSIC #1
Written by Stan Lee and Dwayne McDuffie, penciled by Jack Kirby, Mike Oeming and Kevin Maguire, cover by Arthur Adams.
In the tradition of Classic X-Men, we’re re-presenting the original Avengers #1 digitally re-mastered with and a brand spankin’ new cover by Arthur Adams! There are also two brand new short stories as well! Dwayne McDuffie nd painter Michael Avon Omeing bring you a tale of the Avengers first tumultuous meeting and Stan Lee (who started it all!) and artist Kevin Maguire bring you a compelling tale about how the Avengers really formed!
Buying it for the backups, to be quite honest. I don’t even really like the Avengers, but that is an all-star team.

DAREDEVIL: BATTLIN’ JACK MURDOCK #1
Written by Zeb Wells, pencils and cover by Carmine Di Giandomenico.
The fire that burns in the chest of Matt Murdock finds its origin in this 4-issue limited series by fan-favorite writer Zeb Wells and international superstar Carmine Di Giandomenico. Learn the story of Daredevil’s father — the comic-book icon Battlin’ Jack Murdock — as he boxes four rounds in what is destined to be the last fight of his life. See what leads the man who raised Daredevil to betray his gangland bosses and fight with integrity-even if it means his own death!
I am mighty tempted by this one. I’ve liked Di Giandomenico’s work ever since I saw it in Amazing Fantasy.

FRANKLIN RICHARDS: WORLD BE WARNED #1
Written by Marc Sumerak and Chris Eliopoulos, art and cover by Eliopoulos.
Exiled by his parents to the depths of his room, Franklin has always used his father’s inventions to keep himself entertained. Now Franklin has returned to the lab to wreak more accidental havoc on the FF, the Hulk, the Marvel Universe — and anyone else who gets in the way. More reckless than ever, accompanied by his robotic babysitter H.E.R.B.I.E., Franklin may (unintentionally) tear the planet in half!
This will be better than World War Hulk, I swear. Franklin Richards is a great series of one-shots.

THE IMMORTAL IRON FIST #7
Written by Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction, pencils and cover by Travel Foreman.
Her name was Wu Ao-Shi, and she was known as the Pirate Queen of Pinghai Bay…and that all came after she left K’un-Lun and took the power of the Iron Fist with her. Kicking her way out of the pages of The Immortal Iron Fist #2, this stand-alone issue tells the story of Wu Ao-Shi, from the moment she became the first woman to touch the heart of Shou-Lao the Undying, to her mysterious, controversial and epic ending. At long last, America: someone has combined pirates, kicking, girls, and Iron Fist into a single comic book. You’re welcome.
Do I even have to get into it? This book is awesome.

MYSTIC ARCANA: MAGIK
Written by Louise Simonson and David Nexton, penciled by Steve Scott and Eric Nguyen, cover by Marko Djurdjevic.
Part one of a magic even that spans across the ages. Ian McNee wanted to be the Sorcerer Supreme but was bested by Stephen Strange (Marvel Fanfare #6). Now a collector of magical and bizarre artifacts in the lower east side of New York, he’s on a dangerous quest for four items that he thinks will keep a crazed Ancient Egyptian Priest from resurrection. This issue, the object is the Sword of Bone, and we finally discover the story of what really happened when Magik traveled to Ancient Egypt and met Storm’s descendent during New Mutants #34 in a 22-page story by Louise Simonson and Steve Scott. Plus, Ian McNee comes face-to-face with the sword’s guardian in a special 10-page story by Marvel magic historian David Sexton and Eric Nguyen.
I love both of the Simonsons. I just can’t help it. It’s nice to see Weezy back at Marvel.

NEW WARRIORS #1
Written by Kevin Grevioux, penciled by Paco Medina, cover by Nic Klein.
Someone is gift-wrapping super-villains for the police. Someone is defacing Superhuman Registration posters. Someone is raising eyebrows all around town — from City Hall to Tony Stark’s war chamber. And the only clue to their identity? Two spray-painted letters: N.W. Who are these mysterious young upstarts that have dared to fight the powers-that-be? And what do they want from a de-powered mutant named Sofia? Are the New Warriors truly back from the dead? Or has something new risen from the ashes of Stamford?
I’m a sucker for teenaged rebellion, particularly when it sounds like this. Paco Medina on art is a good choice, too.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS #1
Written by Jeff Parker, art by Roger Cruz, cover by Eric Nguyen.
The early days of mutant fun returns! Unfortunately, the X-Men are a male-dominated group in this early time. Concerned that star pupil Marvel Girl could use a role model, Professor Xavier enlists the world’s top female hero – Sue Storm, The Invisible Girl!
The First Class miniseries was shockingly good, so I’m pleased to see that this is an ongoing. It’s what New X-Men should be instead of the murderdeathkillfest it turned out to be once the original team left.

UNCANNY X-MEN #487
Written by Ed Brubaker, pencils and cover by Salvador Larroca.
“The Extremists,” part 1 of 5. The X-Men are back from space! Well, half of them, anyway. The team is shattered, broken and separated. The group that has returned to earth is finding it much worse than how they left it– especially underground. Attacks in the Morlock Tunnels immediately grab the X-Men’s attention. What do these attacks have to do with the future of the mutant race? Maybe special guest-star Storm can get to the bottom of all this!
Storm and the Morlocks? You cannot turn this down.

KABUKI: REFLECTIONS #8
Written, art and cover by David Mack.
This square-bound volume delves into Mack’s art process, featuring more tie-ins to the DVD documentary on his work, The Alchemy of Art: David Mack from Herovideoproductions.com. Reflctions #8 includes details and commentary on never-before-seen stories, including Mack’s new children’s book The Shy Creatures (to debut from Holtzbrinck Publishing this year), and handmade books and paintings from the DVD. Also featuring step-by-step art techniques, and loads of art and extras you’ve never seen before. Ever wonder how David Mack does his artwork? How his pages and covers go from sketches and drawings to finished art? How he uses models, and figure drawings? It’s all in here!
These books are cool because I am a sucker for process work.

I’ll have a more content-heavy post tomorrow, I swear. I am, yet again, on my way out the door. In the meantime, though, what’re you looking for in June? Marvel list is here and the DC list is here.

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