Forward Thinking: "And the Rest" Part 1

Hisham and I are batting clean-up this month on our new "Forward Thinking" feature, as we take a look at the solicitations for just about everybody other than DC, Marvel, Image and Dark Horse. You can find the text-only solicitations for all books scheduled for April 2006 here.

Fantagraphics

Art School Confidential: A Screenplay

Hisham: Ok, it's not entirely comic book, but it's written by Dan Clowes(David Boring and Ghost World) and includes the original comics that inspired the upcoming movie. A nice appetizer until the premiere of the movie directed by Terry Zwigoff (Crumb and Ghost World).

Castle Waiting

Hisham: I'm sorry that I missed this series the first time around, so I appreciate Fantagraphics collecting the entire story into one volume.

JK: I remember buying my first issue of Castle Waiting from Linda at the San Diego Comicon in the mid-90s; I’ve been following it ever since. Per her website, new issues are in the works!

Heroic Publishing

Tales of the Champions Vol. 4 #4 (#37)

JK: I point this one out only because comics legend Dick Giordano is doing the art. I really don’t know much else about the book.

IDW

Doomed #2

Hisham: Looks like a good concept for a series, Adaptations of stories by genre legends like Robert Bloch (Psycho) and Richard Matheson (My Name Is Legend). I just hope that this is an anthology series that will actually have staying power.

Wormwood Gentleman Corpse: The Taster

JK: I’ve really been enjoying Templesmith’s work on Fell. And how can you go wrong with a zombie named Wormwood and his homemade robot sidekick, Mr. Pendulum?

Fallen Angel #5

Hisham: I have to say I wasn't that impressed with Peter David's Fallen Angel, but the relaunch has me second-guessing myself. A lot of it has to do with the beautiful artwork by J.K Woodward. Still, I think David has kicked his storytelling powers up a notch.

JK: I bought the first few issues of the DC series, couldn’t really get into it, then was drawn back in when Sachs and Violens showed up. I agree that the first issue of the IDW series was solid, both in terms of writing and art, and the end of the first issue was a great kick in the teeth. I look forward to more.

Moonstone

Buckaroo Banzai #1

Hisham: The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai was a movie that should have been a comic book. In fact, part of me still believes that it had to have been a comic book
first. Nevertheless, I look forward to seeing if Buckaroo and friends can show their potential in the medium of comic books.

JK: Buckaroo Banzai has appeared in comics before--in the Marvel adaptation of the movie, anyway:



Oni

Local #5

Hisham: Brian Wood continues his tour of North American cities with a stop in Nova Scotia. Like in Demo, Wood has taken a single unifying concept and used it to tell a variety of stories. I look forward to being surprised by each new issue.

JK: I agree; I look forward to each issue as much as, if not more than, anything else currently on the shelf. And I’ve never been to Nova Scotia, so I’m looking forward to taking the journey with Brian and Ryan.

TwoMorrows

Silver Star: Graphite Edition

Hisham: Years ago, I picked up and issue of Jack Kirby's Silver Star from a local flea market. I found the comic to be a lot darker than your typical superhero title and Kirby's artwork was just plain scary. I wanted more. Now the six-issue series has been collected and I am happy.

(Part 2 coming soon!)

Read More