Remember the rules. I have not seen final versions of these comic books and cannot
guarantee that they will be shipped on time, nor do I own stock in any of their parent companies.
What follows is a synopsis provided by Diamond Comic Book Distributors or the publisher and a reason why you should buy the book.
So here are three hot — and one not-so-hot — reasons to walk into a comic-book store in February:
1. The Alamo, graphic novel
(Antarctic Press, full color, 48 pages, $4.95)
Remember the Alamo. Facing certain death on the night of March 6, 1836, Texas heroes William Barret Travis, James Bowie and Davy Crockett, along with the Tennessee Volunteers and the Texan army, defended the Alamo against Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna and his massive Mexican army. In a siege lasting 13 days — which ultimately ended in the defeat of the now-famous mission — those fallen heroes bought time enough for the Texan army to regroup and eventually win independence from Mexico.
Why should I (the consumer) care? A distinct art form, native to the United States, is used to adapt a pivotal point in American history, thanks to Eisner- and Ignatz-nominated artist Rod Espinosa. Best known for his work on the fantasy epic Neotopia, Mr. Espinosa explores the legend not only by covering the major points of the conflict, but by delving deeper into the real men behind it. Antarctic Press, located in San Antonio, has done a great job of offering an eclectic line of war comics over the years and finally decides to cover an event that occurred right in its back yard.
2. Conan, No. 1
(Dark Horse Comics, full color, 32 pages, $2.99)
Young Conan comes to the aid of a people under brutal attack from Vanirman warriors. His aid unwelcome at first, Conan quickly proves his worth, and the Aesir people begin to welcome his presence. He agrees to continue helping the Aesir and seek out the Vanirman attackers on the condition that he’s guided to Hyperborea, a land he imagines to be a heaven on Earth. Conan’s presence isn’t welcomed by all the folks in the Aesir village, however, and his journey may be fraught with peril from sources closer to him than he expects.
Why should I (the consumer) care? With Conan’s film persona, Arnold Schwarzenegger, as governor of “Caulifornia,” it appears the stars have aligned correctly for the king of the barbarians to return to the popular-culture realm. Artist Cary Nord must combat the ghosts of Conan’s illustrative past, including Barry Windsor Smith, Frank Frazetta and John Buscema, to define his own vision of the hero while Kurt Busiek draws upon the spirit of the late Robert E. Howard to supply the prose as they present the ultimate sword-swinging adventures to the 21st-century reader.
3. Mighty Love, graphic novel
(DC Comics, full color, 96 pages, $24.95.)
Can two people leading double lives find enough time for romance and crime-fighting? Mixing elements of high adventure and romantic comedy, the book explores the relationship between crusading public defender Delaney Pope and hard-boiled cop Lincoln Reinhardt. By day, they’re courtroom adversaries. By night, they become Skylark and Iron Angel, superheroes with differing crime-fighting methods but an undeniable romantic attraction.
Why should I (the consumer) care? #Veteran pop-culture creator Howard (American Flagg, Son of Superman) Chaykin takes a break from a successful writing career in television to return to his favorite art medium by both drawing and writing an original hardcover graphic novel. Readers should expect a quirky, mature-audience take on a heroic romance with plenty of twisted mirth. Mr. Chaykin also has signed on with DC Comics to offer a new Challengers of the Unknown series later this year that will update the heroes of Jack Kirby’s precursor to the Fantastic Four.
Pulp-wasting premise of next month
High Impact Publishing wins the honors this month with its new title, Forgive Me Father. The illustrated tale follows the struggles of the young heroine Maria, who escapes the nightmares of abuse and molestation brought on by her mother’s drunk, abusive lover — only to become the object of a priest’s infatuation. I don’t think even pornographers would touch a story as sickening as this. Yes, thanks to the wonders of modern technology, publishing comic books has becomes so cheap that any mental midget in the galaxy can unleash his most deviant thoughts on readers.
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