Welcome to the Part-Time Fanboy picks of the week for August 20, 2014! Each week some of the crew at PTF will pick their most anticipated books for that Wednesday’s releases based on their own individual tastes. Hopefully this list will help give you, the discerning comic book reader, some ideas on what to pick up at the comic shop during that particular week.
Kristian’s Picks
The Avengers-The Lost Episodes Volume 2
By: Peter Ling, Anthony Howell, Julian Wadham, Anthony Lamb
Genre: Audio Recording
Publisher: Big Finish Productions
Ahhhh…the original Avengers…how I love you so. Many people out there may not realize that the first time the title “The Avengers” utilized it wasn’t on the cover of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s seminal superhero team. The Avengers was actually a British TV show that began airing in 1961 and has been a favorite of mine for years. Even people who know of the action/adventure/spy show may not know that the series didn’t begin with its most famous cast members Honor Blackman or Diana Rigg. John Steed’s first compatriot happened to be a male doctor by the name of Dr. David Keel who was played by Ian Hendry. Unfortunately, much like several early Doctor Who episodes, those early chapters of The Avengers have been lost to time. Luckily, the folks at Big Finish Productions have gathered the scripts to the original episodes and produced some quality audio dramas from them. I didn’t even know that these were being produced so it looks like I’ll have to hunt down volume one as well as soon as I get the chance.
Amulet Volume Six Escape From Lucien
By: Kazu Kibuishi
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Scholastic/Graphix
It’s been a long while since the last volume of Amulet came out and I gotta tell you that I’m not the only one in my family who’s excited that this book is coming out. My seven-year-old daughter is just as psyched as anyone else that there’s a new Amulet book on its way! If you haven’t read any of Kazu Kibuishi’s marvelous fantasy series then you are absolutely missing out! Amulet is a beautifully illustrated series that features terrific characters and fantastical monsters. If you grew up watching and loving fantasy movies such as Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, or The Neverending Story then this is a graphic novel that you must be reading! Not only should you be reading it…you should be giving it to your kids to read. Amulet is one of those rare “crossover” books that both adults and children can appreciate. It’s a series that I’ve loved since I first discovered it and if you couldn’t tell already I’m more than stoked that this latest book is finally, finally being released!
Paul’s Picks
Okay, it’s back to picking comics for me. No more sneaking in novels and biographies. Until next week, maybe.
By: Michael Alan Nelson, Dan Mora, Emma Rios
Genre: Horror
Publisher: Boom! Studios
This title grabbed my attention at SDCC in the Boom! Studios panel and among horror lovers. It’s been compared favorably to “Buffy,” which is always a plus in my book.
First launched back in 2008 by Nelson and Rios, Hexed follows Luci Jennifer Inacio Das Neves, who most people/monsters call “Lucifer.” She’s an adventurer/thief in the vein of Catwoman and Lara Croft, but with a supernatural bent. Between daring heists, she’s saving the world(s).
Dan Mora is the new series artist, though Rios contributes a variant cover. Boom! is on a bit of a roll with their books these days, and I’m really looking forward to seeing this mix of horror, adventure, and humor.
By: Kurt Busiek, Brent Eric Anderson, Alex Ross
Genre: Superhero
It’s hard to say anything that hasn’t been said about Astro City. It’s the perfect mix of nostalgia and futurism, realism and fantasy, bitter and sweet, all viewed through Kurt Busiek’s ultimate optimism. Astro City is where I want to live.
And apparently it has a museum devoted to giant robots, because… it’s Astro City. More than a museum, it’s a sanctuary and rehabilitation joint.
I love giant robots, and I’m hoping that Busiek gives me that “Iron Giant” feeling in this issue.
Throw in one of Alex Ross’s reliably epic covers, and I think that I’m going to have a very nice trip to Astro City this week.
