Welcome to the Part-Time Fanboy picks of the week for December 10, 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
Superman For All Seasons Deluxe Edition Hardcover
Genre: Superhero
Publisher: DC Comics
Superman is the big daddy of all superheroes but being a Superman fan can be an incredibly frustrating experience. Unfortunately, due to the big blue’s stature as a corporate figurehead and the inability of many writers to really get a grasp on the character, Superman comic stories can be a bit of a bore at times. So when a truly magnificent Superman tale comes along it tends to be a very special treat and Superman For All Seasons is a truly magnificent treat indeed. Loeb and Sale crafted a beautifully sublime and heartfelt take on the Superman mythology that stands out as one of the greatest Superman yarns in the character’s seventy five-year history. Loeb approaches the character with a sensitivity and understanding that tends to be lacking from so many stories about Krypton’s last son. Sale’s artwork is delicate and yet powerful, denoting the dichotomy within the Superman character himself who happens to be the most powerful being on the planet but also has a heart of gold. This is a Superman story that stands head and shoulders above the rest that will make fans more appreciative of what Superman stands for and make non-fans take note of what makes this character special. It’s a run on the character that is perfectly suited for the hardcover treatment and I’m actually astounded that this is the first time it’s been collected like this. While I’m not the biggest fan of all of Loeb’s work (I was particularly disdainful of his run on the regular Superman book) this is a work that gives Superman the respect that he deserves and should be read by any comic reader that just doesn’t “get” Superman.
By: Jeff Lemire, Matt Kindt, and Paolo Rivera
Genre: Superhero
Publisher: Valiant Entertainment
I wrote this book up on the site yesterday. To read my review click here.
Paul’s Picks
By: Geof Darrow
Genre: Action Adventure
Publisher: Burlyman Entertainment
Geof Darrow’s gorgeously detailed art has been a favorite of mine for quite a while. His collaborations with Frank Miller on Hard Boiled and Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot are his best known comic work. He’s also a spectacular cinematic conceptual designer who did stellar work for The Matrix.
When the Wachowskis launched Burlyman Entertainment to publish the Matrix Comics series, they also published Darrow’s Shaolin Cowboy. This European and manga inspired series follows an exiled Shaolin monk who adventures across the land with a talking mule, Lord Evelyn Dunkirk Winniferd Esq. the Third.
Incredibly inventive visually and extremely violent, this series stood on the border of absurd and hard boiled. It has been collected in a single volume along with alternate covers by artists such as Moebius, Mike Mignoa, and Kevin Nowlan.
By: Cullen Bunn, Jeremy Haun
Genre: Horror
Publisher: DC Comics/ Vertigo
Werewolves are quickly becoming the new “hot” monster, taking the spot formerly occupied by zombies, who stole it from vampires. Thanks to movies like Ginger Snaps and Late Phases, the werewolf monster is getting some fascinating new interpretations.
In this limited series, the Wolf is an evil monster that has a unique twist on the traditional story. The lycanthropic condition is not transmitted via a bite or curse. Instead, the condition jumps from one person to another randomly. This makes the monster incredibly difficult to track down and stop. It’s a twist similar to the movie The Hidden.
The sample art is fantastically moody and suitably gory. This looks like a very interesting book from the writer of The Sixth Gun.
