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A Great Read #8: Previews Review Edition - Previews Issue 246 - PART 2

Mar 4, 2009 A Great Read, Comics

Today’s entry continues directly after yesterday’s Previews Review Part 1.  Please continue for Part 2 of the Previews Review. 

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 #M-4
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Title: HALO: Uprising HC
Price: $24.99

I’m still waiting for the final issue of this series to be released in single comic format, so I will delay the decision to order this collection until I read that issue.  The series is “so far, so good”, but I don’t want to order the collection of a series until it is complete.  Time will tell on this one.

Will I Order This Item?
Not This Time

 

Page #M-9
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Title: Wolverine #73 70th Anniversary Variant
Price: $2.99

Marko Djurdjevicknocks another one out of the park with this simple, yet striking Wolverine variant cover.  I’m not usually a variant cover guy, but it appears this cover will be shipping in equal ratio to the standard cover, so the variant cover price shouldn’t be any more than usual.  I’ll grab this one upon its release.

Will I Order This Item?
Yup!

 

Page #M-12
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Title: Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers #1
Price: $2.99

This one is not for me, but I’m glad it’s there for the fans who want it.  The art does look pretty cool though.  AND Niko (Pride of Baghdad) Henrichon drew a gorgeous variant cover.  This could be fun.  Lockheed and Lockjaw are both involved…  So is Frog Thor!  Man, I’m almost convincing myself as I write this to pick it up…  Not quite though.

Will I Order This Item?
Not This Time (almost though)

 

Page #M-19
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Title: Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk #6
Price: $2.99

The final issue of the mini-series years in the making is nearly upon us.  All I can say is hurry up and finsih so that the imminent hardcover can be collected, solicited and released!  Look at that Leinil Yucover!!!  Hulk is preparing to make Logan-paste witha boulder that doesn’t even fit in the frame while Wolverine continues stabbing with his “Hulk-stickers”.  Can’t wait for the collected edition!

Will I Order This Item?
Not This Time (but I will pick up the TPB)

 

Page #M-32
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Title: Ultimatum #5
Price: $3.99

Another final issue of a mini-series arrives in the form of Ultimatum #5.  Having only read the first 2 issues of this series so far, I’m curious to see what happens to all of Marvel’sUltimate characters when all is literally said and done.  With the promise of a complete universe shake up and many characters not making it out alive, this is an automatic pick up for me.  Plus, it boasts David Finch interior art.  I would buy a phone book illustrated by this guy…

Will I Order This Item?
Yup!

 

Page #M-23
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Title: Spider-Man: The Short Halloween
Price: $3.99

A Spidey tale penned by Saturday Night Live’s Seth Myers and Bill Hader.  This has spectacular potential.  The funniest super-hero in comics written by two of Showbiz’s funniest guys?  It’s a match made in humour heaven!  Throw in some fantastically expressive art by Kevin Maguire and you get a one-shot that’s sure to bring the funny.

Will I Order This Item?
Yup!

 

Page #M-43
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Title: Astonishing Tales #4
Price: $3.99

Look at that cover.  Marvel, PLEASE put Kenneth Rocafort on regular interiors before he heads back over to Top Cow to produce the upcoming (and awesome sounding) Hunter-Killer/Cyberforce series.  A few pages at a time just isn’t enough.  This guy is a terrific artist and it would be excellent to see him drawing sequential Marvel goodness on a consistent basis.

Will I Order This Item?
Not This Time

 

Page #M-55
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Title: Skaar: Son of Hulk #11
Price: $2.99

Another cover that jumps off the page.  Look at that Travis Charest line work.  It feels as though that knife tied to Skaar’s left arm could really exist.  The whole piece does!  Skaar looks like a living, breathing being on this cover.  No one creates like Travis Charest.  Come back to us, Travis! 

Will I Order This Item?
Not This Time (the cover just isn’t enough)

 

Page #M-59
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Title: Marvel Reading Chronology
Price: $FREE

This is a genius idea!  Sure, it’s essentially a comic-sized catalog advertising Marvel trade paperbacks in chronological order, but that’s exactly what makes it so clever!   With a list of collected editions displayed in the order they should be obtained, I no longer have to search online trying to decipher whichprevious volumes need to be read before I pick up the most recent TPB.  It’s also a smart way to introduce readers to comics they may otherwise know nothing about.  And it’s (say it with me) FREE!

Will I Order This Item?
Yup!

 

Page #M-70
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Title: X-Men: Legacy #224
Price: $2.99

Nothing to say about this one other than the romantically beautiful Rogue and Gambit cover by Lee Bermejo made me pause as I flipped through the pages.  Bermejo needs to have an art book produced for him.

Will I Order This Item?
Not This Time

 

Page #M-75
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Title: Wolverine #73 & 74
Price: $2.99 (each)

This a novel idea that sounds fun; two separate issues of Wolverine will be released during the month withtwo writers and two artists telling two separate stories, BUT the stories will be split between the aforementioned issues.  Jason Aaron with Adam Kubertand Daniel Way with Tommy Lee Edwards will all start their stories in Wolverine #73 and the tales will then conclude two weeks later in the pages of Wolverine #74.  I feel like some Doublemint gum…

Will I Order This Item?
Yup!

 

Page #M-77
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Title: X-Men Forever Alpha
Price: $4.99

Chris Claremont is getting another crack at the X-Men circa 1991.  It’s like someone hit the reset button on their old Nintendo Entertainment System and we’re starting again from level one.  The upcoming X-Men Alpha series takes place directly after X-Men #3 with Claremont re-imagining what the band of merry mutants would have gotten up to if he could have decided.  This issue reprints X-Men #1-3 so that fans can get a quick refresher before the new series launches.

Will I Order This Item?
Not This Time

 

Page #M-92
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Title: Hulk: World War Hulk HC
Price: $34.99

With battles (as illustrated by John Romita jr.) this huge, you need an over-sized hardcover to appreciate them.  The 5-issue mini-series gets the star treatment from Marvel with just over 300 pages of “Hulk-Smashing” action.  The solicit depicts a HUGE wraparound dust jacket showing all the series covers in a gate-fold format.  Yeah, I’ll be needing one of these.

Will I Order This Item?
Yup!

 

Page #M-106
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Title: Marvel Saga: Astonishing X-Men, Squadrom Supreme, Runaways GN - TPB
Price: $14.99

The Saga collection comics Marvel periodically releases are solid ”Reader’s Digest” versions of particular runs of hit series.  This trade paperback collects three of the more recent examples of those collections.  If I didn’t own the single issues already, I would definitely order this up.

Will I Order This Item?
Not This Time (because I already own the single issues)

 

Page #M-114
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Title: Alias Ultimate Collection Book 1 TPB
Price: $34.99

I missed out on the Alias Omnibus in which the entire Brian Michael Bendis series was collected a few years back when it sold out.  So I am jumping at the chance to pick up a new printing containing the first 15 issues of the Marvel MAX title revolving around Jessica Jones with appearances by Luke Cage.  It may not be the whole series, but it’s a great start.  I will be ordering future volumes as they are released as well.

Will I Order This Item?
Yup!

 

Page #205
Publisher: Aspen Comics
Title: Dellec #0
Price: $1.99

The solicit says that “Dellec is unlike anything Aspen has even done before.”  This is evident by the remainder of the solicit text and the very dark imagery accompanying it.  Typically, Aspen has a “cute” factor to most of their books and this feels more gritty than anything else.  In a good way.  This #0 issue is listed at $1.99 which seems like a low enough price to try something new.  Why not?

Will I Order This Item?
Yup!

 

Page #261
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Title: IDW: The First Decade HC
Price: $75.00

I don’t know a whole lot about IDW comics, but they sure know how to put together a retrospective slip-cased hardcover collection.  This thing looks slick.  The collection includes a retrospective from all the head honchos involved, an exclusive comic and there’s even a hardcover dedicated to EVERY cover IDW has ever produced.  That must have been a job and a half to make happen.  If I had read more IDW comics, this would have gotten picked up.  As it stands, I’m not completely convinced I won’t go back and order this beauty in the near future.  It just looks so great!

Will I Order This Item?
Not This Time (but maybe soon…)

 

Page #344
Publisher: Diamond Select Toys
Title: Ghostbusters Minimates Box Set #1
Price: $15.99

Hahahahahaha.  These things are precious!  “Who you gonna call?”  Tiny Ghostbusters!  Egon Spangler and Peter Venkman have rarely looked so good, not to mention Luis Tully (both as a dog and in human form).  A possessed Dana Barrett rounds out this first wave of the mini-busters with more on the way soon.  Maybe we’ll see a teeny Slimer or the Stay-Puft Marshmallow man in the next series!

Will I Order This Item?
Not This Time

 

And that, as they say, is all she wrote (or “he” in this case).  The preceeding was Part 2 of what tickled my fancy between the covers of Previews #246.  Feel free to check out Part 1 if you missed it.  There were plenty of items to order now and then enjoy once May 2009 rolls around.  Thanks for reading!

See you next month!

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