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A Great Read #6: Previews Review Edition - Previews Issue 245 - PART 1

Jan 30, 2009 A Great Read

Today’s Great Read isn’t really a “read” at all.  What I will be doing is going through the latest Previews catalog (released this past Wednesday) and will be highlighting items that look interesting.  Items I may be ordering myself or items I think you may enjoy.  I encourage you to get a copy of the new Previews if you don’t already have one so you can follow along with this entry.  It’s certainly not required, but it will help out a bit.  The Previews catalog is quite THICK, so this review will be done in 3 parts to ensure that as many items can be covered as possible.

I will be using a very basic ranking method that will answer the question:

Will I Order This Item?

- Yup!
- Maybe So
- Not This Time

The page number and price (in US funds) will also be included for easy reference in case you feel inclined to order an item yourself.  So, grab your copy of Previews and let’s get started!

Page # 52
Publisher: Dark Horse
Title: Neil Gaiman Presents: The Twilight of the Gods and Other Tales
Price: $12.95

While I have never read much of Neil Gaiman’s work, I do understand that he has a HUGE fan following and this book (along with future editions) seems like the type of publication those fans would go crazy for.  Neil Gaiman Presents will contain a series of collected, hard to find Gaiman works with new introductions by the man himself in each edition.

Will I Order This Item? 
Not This Time

 

Page # 59
Publisher: Dark Horse
Title: The Umbrella Academy: Button Pack and Composition Book
Price: Button Pack $5.99, Composition Book $6.99

Dark Horse produces a lot of products like this; buttons and books based on properties they own.  I have never purchased any of these nice looking sets, but one of these days I’ll likely pick one up.  Any fan of the Umbrella Academy should be proud to stick these buttons on their messenger bag while it conceals their Composition Book full of its unique untold tales and secrets…

Will I Order This Item?
Not This Time

 

Page # 77
Publisher: DC Comics
Title: Flash: Rebirth #1 (of 5)
Price: $3.99

This is going to be a BIG seller and a very popular book.  I caught up with Green Lantern: Rebirth late in the game via the collected edition and I won’t make that mistake this time around as “Rebirth Partners” Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver look to relaunch The Flash in a big way.  Barry Allen appears to be back from the dead and these capable creators will tell his story in this 5 issue limited series.  This is going to be FUN!  The cover in the solicit should be enough to get you to pick this issue up!  Note that DC is releasing a 1 in 25 Ethan Van Sciver incentive cover for this issue as well.

Will I Order This Item?
Yup!

 

Page # 79
Publisher: DC Comics
Title: Dead Romeo #1 (of 6)
Price: $2.99

The dynamic cover image by Ryan Benjamin used in the solicit should help gather a few extra orders on this new mini-series.  I’m THIS close to ordering it myself, but I believe the eventual trade paperback is what will ultimately find its want to me.  This book sounds like it has everything; an 80’s rocker who gets turned into a vampire and then has to choose between his true love and his soul!!!  Awesome.  For some reason, this concept brings visuals of Robert Smith from The Cure in vampire mode to my mind immediately…  Man, this title is on the bubble for me right now…

Will I Order This Item?
Maybe So

 

Page # 82
Publisher: DC Comics
Title: Justice Society of America #26
Price: $2.99

I don’t read this title at all, but that is one nice spread of 3 beautiful Alex Ross covers.  Keep painting, sir.

Will I Order This Item?
Not This Time 

 

Page # 84 - 85
Publisher: DC Comics
Title: Titans #12, Vigilante #5, Teen Titans #70
Price: $2.99 each

See above.  Replace “Alex Ross” with “Andrew Robinson” and “painting” with “drawing”.

Will I Order This Item?
Not This Time

 

Page # 92
Publisher: DC Comics
Title: Starman Omnibus Vol.3 HC
Price: $49.99

Been meaning to pick this series up in collected format since the first HC was released a few months back.  I’ve heard nothing but good things about Starman, but it remains on my “to pick up” list.  With James Robinson and Tony Harris (and Gene Ha) its tough to go wrong. 

Will I Order This Item?
Not This Time

 

Page # 107
Publisher: DC/Wildstorm
Title: Point Blank: New Edition
Price: $14.99

YES!!!  DC/Wildstorm is finally releasing a new edition of the long out of print Point Blank.  This is a TPB that I would consistently search eBay for and now I can just order it straight from the source.  I have held off reading the Sleeper TPBs for years as this books leads directly into them and I wanted to be up to speed on everything before diving into those volumes.  The story involves Grifter from the Wildcats and Holden Carver from the Sleeper series interacting in a game of cat and mouse. The solicit also mentions “…upcoming collections of the SLEEPER saga” so they can’t be far behind.  Patience has apparently paid off in this instance…  By the way, its written by Ed Brubaker.  Count me in!

Will I Order This Item?
Yup!

 

Page # 107
Publisher: DC/Wildstorm
Title: Prototype#1
Price: $3.99

Another comics based on a video game.  This isn’t for me, but it does has a pretty slick Jim Lee variant cover.  That’s not enough to get me to drop 4 bucks on this comic, but it’s still a nice piece of work from Mr. Lee.

Will I Order This Item?
Not This Time

 

Page # 112 - 113
Publisher: DC/Vertigo
Title: Fables #83, Jack of Fables #33, The Literals #1
Price: $2.99 each

“The Great Fables Crossover” runs through these 3 Vertigo titles.  I dropped Fables around issue #60, so I’m a bit out of the loop with this universe.  BUT, I always think about getting back into it as the concept of true life fairy tales is absolutely brilliant.  I’ve only read the first issue of Jack of Fables and enjoyed it enough, but not enough to pick up future issue.  As for The Literals, this new series is launching under the power of a crossover with established titles behind it, so that should bode well for its initial sales.  After reading the solicit, the idea of The Literals having created the Fables and their universe sounds quite interesting, but I’m too far removed to jump into this crossover without picking up a few TPBs to catch up first.

Will I Order This Item?
Not This Time

 

Page # 121
Publisher: DC/Vertigo
Title: Uncle Sam Deluxe Edition HC
Price: $19.99

I’m slightly surprised that this was not released as an Absolute Edition by DC.  Although, Uncle Same isn’t one of Alex Ross’ more popular or marketable works as there are no super heroes involved.  The title character has to carry this story all by himself without the help of Superman or Batman.  The price point of $19.99 also makes it much more affordable than the obligatory 50 - 100 dollar price tag a typical Absolute book demands.  So, I guess its not that surprising that DC went the route of a more affordably sized HC.  Heck, it worked on me.  Any price higher that $20 and I don’t think this book gets added to my order form.  But, with the price they gave it…

Will I Order This Item?
Yup!

 

Page # 130 - 131
Publisher: DC Direct
Title: Blackest Night Series 1 Action Figures
Price: TBD

SPOILER ALERT!!!  These 2 pages appear to give away key plot points and revelations from the upcoming Green Lantern: Blackest Night story arc.  View at your own risk.  I will say that they figure designs are extremely well done.

Will I Order This Item?
Not This Time

 

That is where I will stop for today.  Come back tomorrow for Part 2 of the Previews Review.  We’ll be looking at solicits from Image and Marvel among others.  See you then!

Tags: blackest night, dark horse, dead romeo, diamond, fables, flash rebirth, jack of fables, justice society, literals, neil gaiman, point blank, previews, prototype, solicitations, starman, teen titans, twilight of the gods, umbrella academy, uncle sam, vertigo, wildstorm