For comic book fans, the summer means two things: Convention season is officially upon us (more on Charlotte’s big convention, HeroesCon, in future issues) and tons of titles are about to hit the stands. But what books will be worth your dime this season? Here’s what I think:
Loose Ends: This “Southern crime romance” limited series by hometown heroes Jason Latour (story), Chris Brunner (art) and Rico Renzi (colors) is the summer book I’m probably most excited about. A preview of the series (released a few weeks ago on Free Comic Book Day) hints at an engrossing tale filled with violence, intrigue and betrayal — brought to life via some stylized (yet detailed) art and moody/cinematic colors. In other words, it looks good.
Hellboy: The Fury: Mike Mignola’s ongoing supernatural saga takes a big shift with this latest limited series, which apparently will expose more details about Hellboy’s true nature and destiny. I’ve been following this character for decades, and I’ve yet to be disappointed.
Flashpoint: As much as I’m growing tired of big events, I still plan to pick up DC’s big summer blockbuster series. The title revolves around the Flash, but it involves an ass-load of the company’s heroes and villains. Sure, the story — about the good guys trying to repair a dramatically altered reality — seems like something I’ve read before. Still, I trust that writer Geoff Johns will deliver a great ending that impacts the DC Universe for years to come.
Kirby Genesis: The creative team behind the acclaimed comic Marvels — Alex Ross and Kurt Busiek — is back with a new title that resurrects some of legendary comic god Jack Kirby’s coolest creator-owned characters. Many writers and artists have tried to bring back Kirby characters before (with little success), but I’m betting on Busiek and Ross to make sense of some rather bizarre concepts and put together a highly readable product.
Rachel Rising: Artist/writer Terry Moore just wrapped up his sci-fi mystery Echo and now he’s dropping this supernatural thriller — about a woman who comes back from the dead and tries to solve her own murder — on his loyal audience.
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen III: Century #2: 1969: You really need a reason to buy this? It’s Alan Moore, people … joined by longtime collaborator Kevin O’Neill. And they’re continuing the long simmering tale of the Extraordinary Gentlemen (this time in the 1960s) in this 80-page graphic novel. Be sure to get your hands on it.
Reviewed materials provided by Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find: www.heroesonline.com.
This article appears in May 17-23, 2011.
