I made a trip to the comic book store yesterday and I picked up some really good stuff that I wanted to share with you. I used to be quite the comic book reader when I was younger. I stopped reading around the time Image came out and ruined the industry by flooding the market with shitty, over priced books. Occasionally I’ll pick up a copy of Usagi or some random Spiderman Issue but I haven’t really been able to get back into reading comics on a regular basis. I guess that’s just because I didn’t know the right books to read.
I ended up going to the Comic Stop up in Lynwood. The store is run by a friend of mine who also happens to be the guy in charge of the Emerald City Comic-Con here in Seattle. I felt kind of silly but I told him how I hadn’t read comics in years but I really wanted to get back into them and I asked him what titles he would recommend. He took me on a whirlwind tour of the store, shoving books in my hands and explaining complex story arcs spanning hundreds of issues and multiple titles. I learned all kinds of things, like Image doesn’t suck anymore, Marvel is cool again, Jim Lee drew a years worth of super cool Batman comics, Superheroes can swear now, there is a book about a crow that gives hand jobs, and essentially that comics are rad again. That’s right, I said rad…piss off.
I ended up walking out of his store with some really good stuff. I’ll try and give you the low down on a few of the books I grabbed with out ruining too much of the story for you.
Marvel Knights: The Fantastic Four
Back when I was reading comics this was a corny title that no one read. Well it’s just been re-launched under the Marvel Knights banner (their adult line) and it’s totally awesome. It also just started so you can get in on issue one and not miss a beat. So the FF were off gallivanting around the world taking care of bad guys and when they get home they find out their money manager swindled them out of their fortune and fled the country. They are now totally broke and forced to look for regular jobs. I won’t spoil anymore of it for you, but suffice to say it’s a really fresh take on the characters and super heroes in general. It reminds you that the FF is a family first and a super hero team second.
“Reed Richards, Mr. Fantastic, brilliant scientist, intrepid explorer…stay at home dad?”
Wanted
Wesley Gibson is a total fucking loser. His dad walked out on him when he was just a baby. His girlfriend is fucking his best friend but he’s too much of a pussy to say anything about it. He has a shitty job and a complete bitch for a boss who is always giving him shit. Guys on the street make fun of him every day. Oh, and the dad he never knew was the worlds greatest super villain.
Wesley’s dad was “The Killer” the greatest hit man ever. He was part of a sort of Super Villain brotherhood that’s been operating secretly on this planet for about twenty years. When “The Killer” dies he leaves his vast fortune to the son he never knew out of some twisted sense of guilt for having walked out on him. The only stipulation is that Wesley has to join the Meta-Human Criminal Cartel and learn to ditch the “effeminate affections” he’s picked up over the years from his “neurotic single mother”
INVINCIBLE
I actually picked up issues one through four of this title in the form of a trade paper back. It tells the story of Mark, a kid whose dad is a super hero. The book starts just as Mark discovers his own super powers and starts his career as a super hero just like his old man. It’s a funny book that juxtaposes Marks wild adventures with his dad against dinner at home with his mom and life at school. Mark’s Mom is just like any other Mom. She doesn’t mid so much when she sees her husband on TV battling some giant monster, but she always worries when he gets sucked into another dimension. Now she has to worry about Mark as well and it’s not easy for her. Mark discovers a group of teenage crime fighters, and falls in with them to help uncover the mystery behind missing kids at his school and a recent string of mall bombings. I’d recommend grabbing the Trade and catching up on the entire story so far.
If you are in Seattle be sure and check out the Emerald City Comic-Con this weekend and check out the Comic Stop up in Lynwood if you decide you want any of the stuff I just mentioned. A few of our wives along with a couple of our friends will be running our booth at the Emerald City Comic-Con this year. It’s a bummer we can’t be there ourselves but if you need PA hoodies, shirts or posters they can hook you up.
Tycho and I will be taking off for Ubercon in New Jersey this week. We’ve never been to the east coast before and I honestly can’t imagine when we’d go back again. If you are in the area we’d really appreciate it if you come out to the con and say hi. I’ll be doing free sketches and we’ll have shirts, hoodies and posters to sell. We will also be taking part in some panels and getting our asses kicked at all kinds of games. It should be a real hoot!
-Gabe out
