New Comics Journal Gets Doane All Fired Up

The new issue of The Comics Journal, #265 for those of you keeping score, looks to be about the greatest issue yet in the young, unbelievably good tenure of Managing Editor Dirk Deppey. I should note for the sake of full disclosure that I contribute to the magazine occasionally, although it's much more for love than money, as with most things in comics, and the money is far from enough to buy either my affection or endorsement.

Let's take a moment or three and run down what I think some of the highlights of this issue will be.

• The Death of Highwater Books -- A Newswatch article by Michael Dean. Considering that the truly great comics companies can be counted on one hand, and that Highwater was one of 'em, this is must-reading for anyone interested in the industry beyond its most vacuous, rape-and-murder-filled surface layer.


• Online Comics Journalism: Does It Exist? -- Another Michael Dean article, and yeah, we know what the blogosphere will be talking about for the next two weeks. Can't wait to read this one.


• Street Angel #1-3 reviewed by Rob Vollmar -- Oh, my God. My favourite comic reviewed by one of my favourite comics critics, and frankly, a man I love like a brother. And did you enter the ULTIMATE STREET ANGEL contest at Comic Book Galaxy yet?


• A bunch of other promising reviews, including Get Your War On Volumes 1-2, Hellboy Junior #1-3, Seaguy #1-3, and Belly Button Comix #1.


• Eric Shanower Interview -- Dirk Deppey conducts a chat with the author of Age of Bronze.


• A batch of columns by writers I love, including Fun! Fun! Fun! by Steven Grant, ¡Journalista! by Dirk Deppey, the new webcomics column Ctrl-Alt-Delete (great name!), and possibly the most exciting thing in a very exciting issue, Cape Fear, a new column on superhero comics by the sublimely gifted Tom Spurgeon.

And yes, Virginia, there is a Ken Smith column in the back of the issue: Mensa members aside, you're supposed to skip those. Just so you know. But yeah, man, this issue looks like a slice of fried gold, to quote Shaun of the Dead, and I can't wait to get my filthy paws on it.