This week we at Part-Time Fanboy we are going to try debuting a new weekly feature: The Part-Time Fanboy Pick of the Week! We’ll look at what’s coming up in the current week of comics and make some recommendations based on our own unique individual tastes. Obviously there is a wonderful world of comic reading out there but this is the stuff that we’ll most be most looking forward to reading that’s being released during that particular week. In a perfect world we’d all be reading everything under the sun but, well, the name of the site is called Part-Time Fanboy and sometimes you just gotta make your hard choices! So without further ado here are our Part-Time Fanboy Picks of the Week!

Kristian’s Picks

Bryan Lee O Malley’s Seconds GN

By:  Bryan Lee O’Malley

Genre: Non-Fiction

Publisher: Ballantine Books

What more needs to be said about this than…it’s Bryan Lee O’Malley!!!

After a bit of a long absence from the comics scene Mr. O’Malley returns with his much-anticipated follow up to Scott Pilgrim! And it’s in color! While I am one of the few people who seemed to equate adding color to Scott Pilgrim with colorizing Casablanca I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on this book! I’ve loved O’Malley’s work since I first laid eyes on the first volume of Scott Pilgrim and the chance to see his work on a project that was planned from its inception as being in color is something that I’m dying to see. O’Malley’s books tend to be fun, original, and brimming with an unique energy of their own so this is a comic that I (and much of the comic book community) have been waiting for with baited breath. This may possibly be my most eagerly anticipated release of the year and the only thing that bums me out about it is that it’s a stand alone release instead of a continuing book. But I’ll take my Bryan Lee O’Malley where I can get him and you should too if you like truly unique and wonderful comics! Cannot wait to get my hands on this!

Disney Mickey Mouse HC Vol. 05 Phantom Blot

By:  Floyd Gottfredson
Genre: Humor
Publisher: Fantagraphics

As a father of a young child I can tell you that these old school Mickey comics go over really well with the kids. I’ve gone through some older paperback collections with my daughter and she absolutely loved them. She would pour over them again and again and again. There’s a wholesome quality to these strips that will definitely appeal to your kids and will bring out the kid in you if you sit down and read these comics with your child. For some reason the Inkblot seemed to be a major draw with my kid so this volume in particular will probably a grand time for any little tykes out there. Of course these editions can be a bit pricey but they tend to be so chock full of cartoons and Fantagraphics does such a great job with these volumes that I think any parent or Disney fan will find it to be money well spent. This book will be the kind of thing that your kid peruses over for years and will probably become a great keepsake for the whole family as time goes by. These old Disney strips are worth their weight in gold and if you’re a parent looking for material for young kids you could do a whole lot worse than this book or any of the other Disney releases that Fantagraphics have put out throughout the years.

Paul’s Picks

Batman: A Celebration of 75 Years 

By:  Bill Finger, Bob Kane, Jim Lee

Genre: Superhero

Publisher: DC Comics

My first pick is the 75th anniversary Batman Greatest Hits hardcover.  It begins with the iconic Detective Comics #27 origin of Batman and collects stories from Detective Comics, Batman Comics, World’s Finest Comics, and DC Specials.  Featuring artists like Dick Sprang, Carmine Infantino, and Dick Giordano and including debuts of assorted Bat-family and Bat-villains, this book is a great sampler for anyone who already loves the Caped Crusader or is interested in the evolution of this character.   You get the first
appearances of Catwoman and Batgirl along with some really fun art.  Stories range from the silly to the gritty.  If you’ve ever wondered how flexible Batman is as a character, look no further.

You may have read most of these stories in previous collections such as the Batman in the Fifties/Sixties/Seventies collections, but this is the first time that they’ve been collected in a hardcover edition.  If you’re looking for a new coffee table book that has strong appeal for all ages, this might be a good choice.

Sanctum  Hardcover

By:  Xavier Dorison, Christophe Bec

Genre: Science Fiction

Publisher:  Humanoids Publishing

My second pick is the science fiction/horror thriller Sanctum.  Described as “Alien on a submarine,” this was initially published in France. It hasn’t had strong reviews for its story, but the art is gorgeous: detailed and full of contrast in a style similar to Mike Mignola.  The coloring is outstanding.  It makes great use of the “teal and orange” style popularized by Michael Bay in the movies, but in a confined claustrophobic space.

I’m a big fan of Lovecraftian horror and it’s great to see it married to a  Clancy-esque techno thriller. Humanoids puts out solid hardcovers of great quality, and they’ve done a great job in recent years of bringing Euro-comics to American audiences.

Corey’s Picks

Deadly Class Vol. 1: Reagan Youth

By Rick Remender and Wes Craig with Lee Loughridge and Rus Wooton

Genre: Crime

Publisher: Image Comics

There is a whole sub-family of stories set in high schools for unconventional students. I guess Harry Potter is probably to blame for the current generation of variations on this theme. This one, though, twists that concept through the filter of a punk ‘80s period setting and crime thriller genre. This particular school raises the next generation of assassins, which allows for the metaphor of petty high school backstabbing to be realized in violent reality. It forces internal drama into external action, perhaps more fitting than the superhero genre where writer Rick Remender is currently more well known, with Marvel’s Captain America and Uncanny Avengers. Wes Craig’s art looks fantastic as well, working the edgy crime world into teen angst through expressive characters and dynamic page layouts. The comic series quickly sold out, so apparently someone is loving it. This is the chance to read the first story arc and get caught up. Like many of Image’s recent wave of exciting, new material, this looks a lot more promising than my chances at a girlfriend as a sophomore in high school.

Doc Frankenstein Vol. 1: Messiah of Science Resurrected

By: Andy and Lana Wachowski and Steve Skroce

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Burlyman Entertainment

This unexpected reissue collects the first four issues of knockout artist Steve Skroce’s spin on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein monster. It was created and developed with artist Geof Darrow, and written here by The Matrix directors Andy and Lana Wachowski. It was originally released nearly ten years ago, when it was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best New Series. It’s good to see it again and apparently the never-published final two issues will be included in a subsequent second volume later this year. Skroce’s art is fantastic here, and the story is a fun romp through history, as we see what Doc Frankenstein has been up to since the events of Shelley’s novel. It’s a bit crazy, with a notable political slant but it’s a fun feast that I would love to revisit. (In more good news, Darrow’s Shaolin Cowboy from this same period returned through Dark Horse Comics last year.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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