Each and every week “All DC, All The Time” MK2Fac3 and “There’s Another Publisher Besides Marvel?” Henchman21 read a lot of comics. Seriously you guys, a lot of comics. Maybe too many comics. I mean, it is possible”¦ theoretically. They look forward to some more than others, I mean, who doesn’t? So, let’s take a look into the depths of their pull lists, grab some comics, and we’ll let YOU know what the top books to look forward to are for the week of November 9, 2011. Single issues and trades, they’re all here.

What day is it? Wednesday? Well, I’ll be chicken feathered! It’s time for new comics! And this week, well this week… is kinda light! Especially on the indie front. There’s a lot of DC and a lot of Marvel this week, so forgive us for going mainstream for the most part this week. But just because they’re mainstream comics, it doesn’t mean that they won’t be good. There’s loads of talent and interesting characters out there, and it just so happens that we’re going to talk about them even if they are a result of the corporate publishing machines. Wait, what are we talking about, comics? Never mind, let’s do that! Here’s a bunch of new comics that are coming out this week!

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ISSUES:

The All-New Batman: The Brave and The Bold #13 (DC Comics – $2.99): I freaking love Batman: The Brave and The Bold. Both the TV show and the comic book a blast from the past. Way in the past. The silver age of comics, to be exact. And I love every minute of it. Both the comic and the show have loads of nods and references to Batman’s continuity that’s put there for a kid’s parents to catch and enjoy. And while the show is typically written a lot smarter than the comic, the comic has a lot of strong points too, but it’s main audience is that of youngsters. But, as I said, there’s still a lot in this comic for everyone. Especially if that someone is me. Every single freaking Robin, except for the DC One Million Robin (Come on!), is present in this issue of The All New Batman: The Brave and The Bold. This issue is called “Batman Dies At Dawn,” which is a reference to both The Silver Age classic “Robin Dies At Dawn,” and Grant Morrison’s “Batman Dies At Dawn” from his Batman run. I’ve already written about this, and if I love the issue as much as I think I will, I’ll probably write about it again. But it’s a must pick up for any Batman fan. I mean, they even have the Carrie Kelley and Stephanie Brown Robins in this comic. That’s awesome!

Batwoman #3 (DC Comics – $2.99): I don’t think I’ve talked about Batwoman recently. But I love it, I really do. Every issue doesn’t blow me away like the last time we saw with Batwoman in Detective Comics, but since it was relaunched, it’s been an absolutely strong showing with each month. So, two months. But Wednesday marks the third month in it’s current volume by JH Williams III and W. Haden Blackman. And that’s a pretty impressing feat considering all of the delays that this series got. But anyway, it’s one of the strongest comics of the DC Relaunch, and though it’s not always on my mind, when I read this comic, I’m excited and in awe with each page. The art gorgeous, the story is picking up more, all around it’s one of the best comics of the year.

Penguin Pain and Prejudice #2 (of 5): I gotta be honest, I didn’t think I would like this comic. I pretty much give any Batman-related book a fair shake considering that Batman is my favorite character, any writer or artist can get better, and a lot of new Bat books have traditionally newer creators trying to cut their teeth on a lower profile book. But for the most part, most of them are not very good. That said, writer Greg Hurwitz, penciller Szymon Kudranski, and colorist John Kalisz have put together a simply amazing book. Usually, Penguin is approached as a power hungry mob boss, and while that’s there in this book, more than anything, this book is an exploration of Penguin’s character. The first issue was an origin story, but it was really good origin story. It went back to Penguin’s childhood and how he was outcasted by his peers, his father, and his family, but the only person he has that ever accepted him was his mother. So, the story is really interesting on a surface level, but if you peel a couple of layers back, you get a look at the mind of the character, his interaction with his associates, and why he’s so determined to achieve absolute power. It’s seriously a great book, and the art is simply breath taking. I highly recommend picking up this book.

COLLECTION:

My name is Hunter Camp, and I came to drink soda and kick butt. And looks like I’m all out of soda.

Spy VS. Spy by Prohias Omnibus HC (DC Comics – $49.99): I want this as a Christmas present, I want this as a birthday present. I mean, I just want this. Now, we’re going to talk a little bit about my childhood now, and I don’t want you to freak out about it, alright? Are you cool with that? Well check this out, yo. When I was a kid, unsurprisingly I was a bit of a weird kid. And as a weird kid with a weird (but awesome) dad, I read a lot of Mad Magazine. This was usually way over my head, but I strongly remember an affinity for Spy VS. Spy, the short comic strips of the Black Spy and the White Spy constantly killing each other in more and more devious ways. I loved it! I couldn’t get enough! In fact, on my 7th Halloween as a youngster, I demanded to go as the Black Spy, my favorite character from my favorite strip at the time. Granted, I’m totally lying about the Halloween thing, but I genuinely love these comic strips and this is something I need in my collection.

Henchman21

ISSUES:

Avenging Spider-Man #1 (Marvel Comics – $3.99): Remember a few years back when Marvel consolidated all of their extra Spider-Man titles into the one Amazing Spider-Man series and just had it come out three times a month? And then they went to releasing Amazing only twice a month? Well, Marvel has now seen fit to fill that extra week without Spider-Man with a new ongoing series, Avenging Spider-Man. It’s not really news that Marvel is taking one of their most popular characters and spinning them off into a new series. No, the big news with Avenging Spider-Man is the return of artist Joe Maduriera to a monthly book. The last time we saw Maduriera, he was handling the art for the third Ultimates mini-series. Now he is joining with writer Zeb Wells to bring back what is essentially a new version of Marvel team-Up featuring Spider-Man.  The conceit of Avenging Spider-Man is that he will be teaming up with a different character each issue to fight some kind of threat. The first team up is with the Red Hulk, which should lead to a lot of action. Team Joe Mad up with Zeb Wells, who got a lot of practice writing for Spidey when he was working on Amazing, and you get a book that could be a lot of fun.

Point One #1 (Marvel Comics – $5.99): I can’t be sure, but I think this may be the most ridiculously named book ever, and I’m counting Brother Power The Geek. Stupid name aside, I will now talk for a little bit about Marvel’s Point One initiative so far. When Marvel announced what they were planning to do with their Point One issues, it made at least a little sense to me, even if I wasn’t thrilled with the name. Point One issues, as I remember them being explained, were supposed to be jumping on issues, with the hope of luring readers on to series they may not have been reading. However, once the issues started coming out, we saw that most of them were not living up to this goal. A large number of them were just regular issues of whatever series they were for. Now, Marvel is releasing a line wide Point One issue, with the hope of drumming up excitement for a number of current series. Marvel has wisely brought in their big guns for the seven stories included in this issue, and they are promising yet another big change for their universe. I’m almost tired of all these events Marvel is publishing, but hell, I keep buying them, so who am I to complain. Marvel U fans are going to want to pick this up, but it’s going to be a tough sell for non-fans, especially at $5.99.

Operation Broken Wings: 1936 #1 (of 3) (BOOM! Studios – $3.99): The draw for this book is pure and simply the art of Trevor Hairsine. Hairsine looked like he would be a big name in American comics a few years back whe he was working on books like Ultimate Six and X-Men: Deadly Genesis, but then he dropped off, working on smaller books like Killapalooza. Operation Broken Wings is a reprint of some of Hairsine’s European work, and is a World War II story set in the early days in the war. I love war comics, and I’m interested to read one written by a non-American writer not named Garth Ennis. This one is written by Herik Hanna, who’s work I’ve certainly read before. Hairsine’s realistic and detailed work is what I’m mainly picking this up for. If you’re a fan of his work, you’ll want to give this a shot.

COLLECTION:

There are a lot of great trades out this week. Between the next volume of Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing, or the second volume of Kill Shakespeare from IDW, to a host of other books, there’s plenty to choose from. The book I want to talk about is:

Wonderful Wizard of Oz TPB (Marvel Comics – $19.99): I think this is the third time Marvel has released a collection of Eric Shanower and Skottie Young’s adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s first Oz book, but if I haven’t read it, it’s new to me! I’ve heard nothing but good things about this book, mostly in regards to Young’ dynamic art style. He has a very cartooney style, and there is a lot of energy put to good use in this series. Judging from the little I have seen of the art, he perectly captures the characters and world of Oz. I know there are a lot of readers who love all of Baum’s Oz books, and even without having read this yet, I can guarantee that you will enjoy this. And if you do like this one, there are two or three more adaptations by Shanower and Young of some of the other books in the series. Whoever decided this project was a good idea deserves a hearty pat on the back and a celebratory drink.