Review- SWAMP THING BY BRIAN K. VAUGHN VOL. 2 TP

SWAMP THING BY BRIAN K. VAUGHN VOL. 2 (Vertigo/ DC, 2014; Softcover)

Collects Swamp Thing #10-20 and Vertigo Secret Files & Origins: Swamp Thing #1 (cover dates November, 2000- December, 2001)

Writer: Brian K. Vaughn

Artists: Giuseppe Camuncoli and others

Brian K. Vaughn is one of the best writers working in comics today. Kudos to DC for cashing in on his recent success with Saga by finally releasing his run on this title across two books. Vaughn's writing is both political and personal, with his beliefs and convictions channeled through the characters in the story. Think of him as the 21^st century version of Steve Gerber or Don McGregor. Pure craft. My only gripe is that the Swamp Thing is a walk on role in only a handful of issues in this series. The real star is his Emo-tinged daughter Tefe. Vaughn is such a good writer that he can make you interested in something that wasn't what you wanted in the first place.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4 out of 5.

The OCD zone

Paper stock: Thick glossy coated stock.

Binding: Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover notes: Thick waxlike lamination.

SWAMP THING BY BRIAN K. VAUGHN VOL. 1

SWAMP THING BY BRIAN K. VAUGHN VOL. 1 (Vertigo/ DC, 2014; Softcover)

Collects Swamp Thing Nos. 1-9, the Swamp Thing “handbook” pages from Vertigo Secret Files & Origins, and the Swamp Thing story from Vertigo: Winter's Edge No. 3 (cover dates January, 2000- January, 2001)

Writer: Brian K. Vaughn

Artists: Roger Peterson, Joe Rubinstein, Rick Magyar, Cliff Chiang, Rodney Ramos, Mark Lipka, Steve Lieber, Paul Pope, and Guy Davis

Colorist: Alex Sinclair

Brian K. Vaughn is a fan favorite these days, with Saga basically being a license for Image to print money. DC was smart in releasing this previously uncollected run in trade paperback to cash in on the success of that series. Before his brilliant Y: The Last Man, before Ex Machina, Vaughn did this radically different Swamp Thing series for DC's Mature Readers imprint, Vertigo.

Those looking for the further adventures of the Swamp Thing (Alec Holland) and Abigail Arcane Holland will be disappointed. While they are in this series, they only occasionally appear, with the main focus being on their daughter Tefe Holland. Tefe is the human child of Alec and Abigail who can tap into The Green. She is seeking out purpose in this world, so she sets out to find The Tree of Knowledge.

Like all so-called Mature Readers series, there are themes not appropriate for all ages, such as sexual violence and swearing. These things could have undermined the craft and value of Vaughn's writing, but he pulls it off and makes it seem like a part of the story and not sensationalist or fanboy* pandering trash.

*Term used in the original pejorative.

While Vaughn's writing is the star of the show, writing alone doesn't make comics great. You have to have great artwork, too. Roger Peterson is serviceable if unremarkable. His art is just decent enough to keep this from sinking but isn't much to my liking. Your mileage may vary. Having said that, I am on board for Volume 2, out now.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4 out of 5.

Buy SWAMP THING BY BRIAN K. VAUGHN VOL. 1 TP at InStockTrades!

The OCD zone- Nothing unusual to report.

DVD-style Extras included in this book: None.

Paper rating: 4.5 out of 5. Good weight glossy coated stock, worlds better than the recycled toilet paper that DC used to pass off in their Vertigo trades.

Binding rating: 4 out of 5. Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover coating rating: 5 out of 5. Nice thick waxlike lamination, should hold up well over time with repeated reading. 

Review- SAGA

SAGA VOL. 1 (Image, 2012; Softcover)

Collects Saga Nos. 1-6 (cover dates March- August, 2012)

Writer: Brian K. Vaughn

Artist: Fiona Staples

Everyone and their brother was singing this series' praises, so it piqued my curiosity. Could it possibly be anywhere near as good as Brian K. Vaughn's other works? I guess that there was only way to find out. Saga has all of the Brian K. Vaughn hallmarks that we've come to know and love. It's own self-contained scenario. Fully formed characters that are immediately identifiable and likable. And finally, a road ahead with oodles of hurdles present. In Vaughn's past work the journey was sometimes better than the destination (Runaways). Other times, the end is so thought-provoking that it haunts you for months and even years after you read it (Y: The Last Man and Ex Machina).

The gist- A child is born to an inter-species couple. The child's parents are of warring factions, and this a, well, saga of them trying to escape the war and provide a better, safer life for their child and themselves. Think of it as Romeo and Juliet with an urban sprawl, fleeing to the suburbs metaphor...in space. It's really much more interesting than this, with plenty of action, humor, and heart. I'm not sure if I am on board for Volume 2 or not. I have way too many irons in the fire as it is. We'll see. You could certainly do much worse than Saga.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4 out of 5.

The OCD zone- Standard fare trade paperback.

Paper rating: 5 out of 5. This has a really nice paper stock. It is coated and has a nice feel and weight to it.

Binding rating: 4 out of 5. Glued binding on a softcover. It is what it is.

Cardstock cover coating rating: 5 out of 5. This boasts the same thick, wax-like coating that Marvel and now DC use on their trade paperbacks. Very durable.

Review: The Hood- Blood From Stones

THE HOOD: BLOOD FROM STONES(Marvel, 2007; Hardcover)

Collects The Hood Nos. 1-6 (cover dates July- December, 2002)

Writer: Brian K. Vaughn

Artist: Kyle Hotz

I really enjoy Brian K. Vaughn's writing, and have been Jonesing for more. He's been sort of missing in action from the comic book scene for a while, although that will soon change, according to Image's March 2012 solicitations. Kyle Hotz's artwork isn't as refined here as it would become in just a few years. His sense of pace and overall storytelling ability is excellent, but he still had some rough edges at this point in his career. I loved his work on both Marvel/MAX Simon Garth: The Zombie mini-series a few years ago.

The Hood is a marginal villain who was made into a major villain. This story tells his origin and rise to power and is an enjoyable read. Bendis basically made him into the focal point of the Marvel Universe in The Avengers a while back. Whatever the case, I enjoyed this book. I got it brand new for $5.00, and it was 75-90 minutes well spent.

The OCD zone- This is one of Marvel's Premiere Edition hardcovers, which have glued binding. Not to be confused with their Marvel Premiere Classics hardcovers, which are the same dimensions as these but have sewn binding and nicer paper. I normally despise hardcovers with glued binding, but when the book is on the thinner side like this one is I can tolerate it.

Reviews: Logan's Run: Last Day; Night of the Living Dead; Ex Machina Vol. 10: Term Limits

LOGAN'S RUN: LAST DAY (Bluewater, 2010; softcover)

Collects Logan's Run: Last Day Nos. 1-4 (cover dates January- April, 2010)

Logan's Run is equal parts passion and nostalgia for me. While I was too young to catch the 1976 theatrical release, I did see it re-run in syndication a number of times in the late '70s and early '80s. For a kid who was enamored with Star Wars and  Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Logan's Run was equally awesome. This series is closer to the book than the movie and is exceptionally well done, with great writing by Jason Brock and Paul J. Salamoff (adapting the William F. Nolan novel) and tremendous artwork by Daniel Gete. Heck, even colorist Joseph Baker deserves a shout out for the tasteful job that he did on the series.

Not ALL is rosy, though: Bluewater originally solicited this as a 6 issue trade, but when it came out, only the first four issues were included. The arc isn't even resolved in this trade, ending on a cliffhanger. I hope that they put those two issues in the next Logan's Run trade. I won't complain too much, though, because 4 issues at a MSRP $14.99 from an independent publisher with licensing fees isn't TOO bad, I suppose. I would've rather had the complete 6 issue series in one book, though. That aside, what could be stopping you from treating yourself to this? 

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD VOL. 1 (Avatar, 2010; Softcover)

Collects George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead No. 1, Night of the Living Dead: Back From The Grave No. 1, Night of the Living Dead: Hunger, Night of the Living Dead: Just A Girl No. 1, Night of the Living Dead: New York No. 1 and Night of the Living Dead: The Beginning Nos. 1-3 (cover dates August, 2006- 2009)

Avatar Press continually produces quality material, and this is another fine offering from them. These issues take place before and after the original movie, and are co-written by original creator and movie script co-writer John Russo. The artwork is serviceable if unremarkable (see cover image above), with the exceptions being the issues done by Fabio Janses and Edison George. All of the variant covers are included as DVD-style extras, and the Jacen Burrows ones are my favorites. On the OCD side of things, the book has sewn binding and is printed on high-quality paper. A nice package and a good read.

EX MACHINA VOL. 10: TERM LIMITS (Wildstorm/DC, 2010; softcover)

Collects Ex Machina Nos. 45-50 (cover dates November, 2009- September, 2010)

Wow! This series has remained a favorite of mine, and while I am sad to see it end, it ended with a HUGE bang! Like all great endings, there are questions left unanswered. No one could've seen it coming, no way no how, and there is no way in Hell that I'm going to tell you how it ended. If you have not checked this series out, start with the first issue or the first trade paperback and go from there. Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris have made a series for the ages here, and one day I am going to sit down and re-read all 10 trade paperbacks in a row.

Originally posted on my myspace blog on 4/7 & 4/27/2009

The Marvel Masterworks program has most certainly had its ups and downs. The original batch had glued binding and coloring that was not faithful to the original comics, but it did have nice paper. Then came the second generation, or "ComiCraft" versions, called such because of the dustjackets which were designed by ComiCraft. These had superb paper and sewn binding, but were plagued with unfaithful coloring. 

In 2003, we got the Re-Masterworks, which had sewn binding, slick magazine paper, and garish, gradient shaded computerized coloring. Between the slick magazine paper and that, they were painful to the mind and eyes. Not to mention the fact that they were unfaithful to the original issues again. 

Enter Cory Sedlmeier. First, he got the program moving forward with new releases, which Marvel was skeptical about. His first new Volume, Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 6, was not without it's problems. While the coloring was faithful to the original issues, there were some linework and restoration problems, and the binding was glued. It still read well, laying flat comfortably in one hand. The slick magazine paper made the colors again seem garish. 

After much griping by whiners such as myself, Marvel switched to a duller matte finish paper. It was fantastic! By this time, the restoration techniques were getting better, and thanks to this new paper, the coloring was "there". But now a new problem emerged, one that I lovingly refer to as "mouse trap binding". You see, these were still perfect bound (read: glued) hardcovers, and this new paper was so thick, that it made it impossible to read this book without using both hands to pry it open. Let is go, and SNAP, it shuts just like a mouse trap. 

Enter more message board whining and pestering letter writing by yours truly, and we got to vote to switch to sewn binding for $5 more per hardcover. This was a no-brainer! Done. Now, we had sewn binding! Hooray, all will be well again. That is, until the first book with sewn binding arrived. Now, we had books with stiff sewn binding, which, with a bit of work, did lay flat comfortably in one hand. Not perfect, but better. But it got worse again! The printer uses glue on the signatures prior to sewing the binding...that's just how it is done, kids. This printer used so much, that it seeped in between the pages, making it so bad that there were typically 4-8 different points in each book that had to be pried apart. I was livid! Adding more insult to this injury, the printer then insisted on GLUING the dustjackets on to the cover! GAHHHH!! More message board whining and annoying letters were sent out to Marvel. Finally...finally, they moved Masterworks production over to China. 

While I am sad that they are no longer made in the US, the uptick in quality far outweighs my patriotism. This book is the first of the Chinese made Masterworks. Superb, quasi-dull/slightly shiny paper, wonderful sewn binding, ensuring a lifetime of reading pleasure, faithful coloring, linework restoration and, when needed, reconstruction...Masterworks have finally gotten to where they need to be. I can sleep well at night, no longer hearing the glue on the binding disintegrating in the middle of the night...my heirlooms will be safe for generations of my offspring.

X-MEN VS. APOCALYPSE VOL. 2: AGES OF APOCALYPSE (Marvel, 2008)

Collects Cable Nos. 77, Uncanny X-Men No. 378, Uncanny X-Men Annual 1999, Wolverine (Vol. 2) No. 148, X-51 No. 8, X-Men No. 98, X-Men Unlimited No. 26 and X-Men: The Search For Cyclops Nos. 1-4 (cover dates March, 2000- March, 2001)

These stories show a marked improvement in writing and artwork when compared to just a few years earlier in the Complete Onslaught trades, but still mostly suck. The artwork is sloppy and still Liefeld-esque, or showing signs of the forthcoming Manga influence and/or cartoony look. Why in the Hell would they draw Nightcrawler with a goatee? There's still too much corny dialogue and "over writing", as I like to call it, and way too many *boxes. The brightest spot in all of this is Alan Davis' story and artwork in X-Men #98. 

All of the cheeseball '90s characters with nonsensical names like Cable...why would they call him that? At least in the days of yore a name had something to do with the character's powers. Wolverine had claws, Cyclops had a visor that looked like one eye, Colossus was...well, colossal! Cable? He's the most powerful super badass psi-mitar wielding cybernetic techno-virus organism fighting Omega squared level psychic in the world, man! I think I may have missed one of his multitude of powers. I know he uses a gun as well. What does all of that have to do with the name Cable? Beats me! Equally stupid is Siphon, whose only displayed power are eyebeams. If she can indeed siphon people's powers they don't show it here. 

With the exception of the Uncanny X-Men Annual and The Search For Cyclops mini-series, all of these issues carried a March, 2000 cover date, and goes to show you how many damn X-Men titles Marvel used to publish! It also shows how stupid it is for there to be variant covers for a mini-series like this! I bet you I could find those "valuable" variants in a quarter box if I look hard enough.

SECRET WARS OMNIBUS (Marvel, 2008; Hardcover)

Collects Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars Nos. 1-12 (cover dates May, 1984- April, 1985), She-Hulk No. 10 (cover date February, 2005), Thor No. 383 (cover date September, 1987) and What If? (Vol. 2) Nos. 4, 114 (cover dates October, 1989 and November, 1998)

OK, I am a Grade A sucker. I bought the floppies of the core series as they came out in 1984. Then I bought the trade 4 or 5 years back. Then they announced this, a 480-something odd page hardcover with a MSRP of $99.99 and I scoffed at it. Pfaugghh! I already own this. Then I saw the Alex Ross painted variant cover. I still scoffed. It was solicited and released, and I resisted. Then X-Mas came and went, and with some extra coin in pocket, I gave in to temptation. 

It really is a nice book, even though the page count is downright paltry when compared to the 800 page average of other Omniboo at the same price point. All of those considerations aside, this was a wonderful romp down memory lane. This was the first 'big' crossover event, where you could find all of the heroes fighting all of the villains (or so my 10-11 year old brain thought at the time). Contest of Champions, a 3 issue mini-series from two years prior, was something of a blip on the radar, but this...THIS was important! 

This series made me a fan of Dr. Doom and the Wrecking Crew, and introduced me to the X-Men. Sure, Jim Shooter's writing is a little clunky, but give the guy props: he may have been difficult to work with/for, but the results speak for themselves. This series made a generation of kids comic book fans. The quality of Marvel's titles during his tenure is incontestable. They had longstanding nods to continuity while being new reader friendly, and most importantly...no variants! There was one cover per issue. This was an era where readers were enticed to buy more through quality material, not gimmicks. 

A year later, Secret Wars II would be the first mega-crossover, and I was suckered into buying every single crossover issue, regardless of whether it was a regular read of mine or not. The powers that be noticed, and the world of comics has never been the same. So, while I romanticize this era because it was "my" Golden Age of Comics, I can understand why many older readers point to this series as the beginning of the end. Like Slurpee's, gummy bears, 7-11's long defunct Big Wheel ice cream sandwiches, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, this series will always be loved by me, not just for how much I enjoyed it at the time, but for the era that it represents. The extra, non-core title issues are little more than padding. Only the Thor issue by DeFalco and Frenz is really worth reading in the context of this book.

POWER PACK: DAY ONE (Marvel, 2008)

Collects Power Pack: Day One Nos. 1-4 (cover dates May- August, 2008)

This re-tells their origin, which took 4 issues instead of the 40 pages it took 25 years ago. This added in several things that may or may not have been revealed in the original series, as I stuck around to #33 or 34, and haven't read anything beyond the first few issues in 20+ years.

SPIDER-MAN FAMILY: ITSY-BITSY BATTLES (Marvel 2008)

Collects Spider-Man Family Nos. 7-9 (cover dates April- August, 2008)

These were decent but inconsequential reads that at times defy continuity. If it weren't available in the cheap-o digest format I wouldn't even bother with this title.

AMERICAN DREAM: BEYOND COURAGE (Marvel, 2008)

Collects American Dream Nos. 1-5 (cover dates July- September, 2008)

Solid stuff by Tom DeFalco and Todd Nauck. What more can one say, especially when I've already stated what a DeFalco fan I am in past blogs? Okay, I'll say it again. Tom DeFalco is one of the last true Silver Age inspired comic book writers. True, he didn't start until the Modern Age of Comics (1980s), but he learned the lessons of Stan Lee well and, unlike many modern day writers, sees it as an honor and not a detriment to follow in those footsteps. There is nothing wrong with writing all-ages, continuity honoring super-hero comic books, people! The MC2 line doesn't get nearly enough props for my taste. Todd Nauck's artwork is solid, with great pacing and storytelling.

Y: THE LAST MAN VOL. 7: PAPER DOLLS (DC, 2006)

Collects Y: The Last Man Nos. 37-42 (cover dates November, 2005- April, 2006)

Y: THE LAST MAN VOL. 8: KIMONO DRAGONS (DC, 2006)

Collects Y: The Last Man Nos. 43-48 (cover dates May- October, 2006)

Y: THE LAST MAN VOL. 9: MOTHERLAND (DC, 2007)

Collects Y: The Last Man Nos. 49-54 (cover dates November, 2006- April, 2007)

Y: THE LAST MAN VOL. 10: WHYS AND WHEREFORES (DC, 2008)

Collects Y: The Last Man Nos. 55-60 (cover dates May, 2007- March, 2008)

More goodness by Brian K. Vaughn. I loved this series, and the only reason that you don't is because you haven't read it yet. The end of the series (Issue 60) leaves me with more questions and no definite answers...arggghhhh!! I guess it's one of those endings that you are meant to discuss, but man... *S-P-O-I-L-E-R-S* I want to know Agent 355's real name! I want to know what definitely killed all of the males! I also wish that there were more issues to read. Oh well. I am sure that I will revisit this material in the future, and wouldn't be at all surprised if this is remembered as one of the best titles of the Aughts.

BANE OF THE WEREWOLF #1 (Silver Phoenix, Cover date March, 2009)

I normally wait for the trade, but when it comes to small press stuff like this, it's better to be safe than sorry. Cover dates are usually dated 2 months ahead these days, but this cover date was actually behind the release date of April 8! This is decent for what it is: Late Silver/Early bronze Age flavored Horror/monster comics. The artwork is servicable, and the story seems to flow for the most part. LOTS of reading here...this is not a Bendis picture book by any stretch of the imagination! The paper (or the ink) smell funny. This is a black and white series but doesn't suffer for lack of color. I am on the fence about picking up Issue 2, so I guess we'll have to wait and see if it's a slow week.

Originally posted on my myspace blog on 10/10 &18/2008

I am a Marvel Masterworks addict. I cannot get enough high end hardcover reprints! My wallet and bookshelves (and my wife) may have differing opinions, though.

There seems to be an annoying trend on the highways and byways of Michigan... the slow driver. While they were confined to the right lane in ages past, they now seem confident with their sloth, braving the third, and even second lanes on I-75. Why would someone be on the road at 6:30 in the morning if they didn't have somewhere to be, i.e. work, school, etc.? Do they have some psychotic compulsion to impede my progress? It's all I can do to avoid playing Spy Hunter with my car anymore! Please drive at least the posted speed limit, people! The freeway should be like the Autobahn, where the slow and weak of the herd are carved up by the wolves. Worse still is the trend of people that sit there after a signal changes. What, is the light not green enough for you people? Move! 

You know what else drives me nuts? DVDs. Everything is a collector's edition, a director's cut, definitive, etc. Why can't we just have a standard consumer's edition? I just want the movie as it was shown in the theatre, no stupid menus, no deleted scenes that 9.99 times out of 10 were cut out with good reason. Not every movie is so important that we need a making of type thing, or the theatrical trailers. Worse still is what I call the Lord of the Rings syndrome, where the same movie is re-released countless times, first as a 2 disc, then an expanded 3 disc, then in 5.1, trilogy box set, Blu Ray... enough! I am done. I don't buy DVDs (except South Park seasons) anymore. Besides, this year's 7.2 will be next year's 9.3, and Blu Ray will give way to some other 'endgame' technology that will require yet another purchase and upgrade. It's all vanity, people! I still watch VHS tapes that I own. I refuse to upgrade if I already bought it. Fight the power!

I review things in an untimely fashion because A) I buy only trades and hardcovers and B) my backlog typically is 5-6 months deep, so when you figure out that a trade comes out some 5 or so months after the regular comic, and my backlog is like 5-6 months, we're looking at 10 or more months after the fact for my reviews. Still, this is a *Spoiler* free zone. Nothing is worse than an asshole who blurts out the ending or pivotal plotline reveal.

I have a couple of extra cents to spare, so I shall give y'all my few cents on a couple of topics.

1. Homage covers. They suck! I am tired of seeing parodies/ homages every month in Marvel's solicitations. The thing that made those images so iconic was the fact that they were new. Sure, those Marvel Zombies covers were fun at first, but Incredible Hercules and Thunderbolts riffing on classic covers is pointless.

2. Crossovers. These helped to drive me away around '89/'90, and while Marvel has gotten smarter by not making it necessary to buy 60 comic books to understand the core mini-series, there are simply too many of them, one after another, after another, after another. I don't know, maybe the kids love them, if there were indeed kids who read comic books. At $3.00 a pop, not too likely.

3. Availability. I want to see comic books as a whole thrive. With all of these movie adaptations raking in the cabbage, logic would dictate that comic books would see a nice sales spike. While the industry as a whole is healthier than it has been in years, it is nowhere near where it should be. Today's "big titles" sell 100k. 15 years ago they would have cancelled a title for selling "only" 100k. The only places that you see comic books are in comic book shops (the direct market) and mass market bookstores. They need to get comic books back into 7-11s, supermarkets, etc. That's where I got my first taste, when I would beg my Mom for them while she was shopping. Newsstand sales would not threaten the direct market, as the Direct Market always got their issues first anyways. It would serve to introduce kids to the medium. People my age, and maybe a little younger, were the last generation that actually bought comics as a viable entertainment medium, as opposed to the niche hobby that it has become. People blame video games, the Internet, etc., for the decline of comic books. I blame availability and...

4. ...the price. Comic books are too damned expensive for kids. $3, now going up to $4 per issue. In these economic times? Get out of here. No 4 year old kid's Mom is going to throw $4 on the counter so that junior can tear apart a comic book. I have a solution, though (don't I always?). Increase the page count. A current comic is 32 pages, 22 or so of which are story. Increase the page count to either 48 or 52 pages, the bulk of which would be ads to help defray the cost. Increase the ad revenue, you could lower the cover price to $1.50 or $1.75. Maybe spike up the story page count to 26 or 27 pages. Or lower the grade of paper used. Not every title requires slick magazine paper. Pulp paper worked fine for years until computer color separations became the norm. Still, DC uses lower grade paper to a degree. I think that these solutions could help save the industry from becoming a strictly graying hobby.

Y: THE LAST MAN VOL. 1: UNMANNED (DC, 2003)
Collects Y: The Last Man Nos. 1-5 (cover dates September, 2002- January, 2003)

Y: THE LAST MAN VOL. 2: CYCLES (DC, 2003)Collects Y: The Last Man Nos. 6-10 (cover dates February- June, 2003)

Y: THE LAST MAN VOL. 3: ONE SMALL STEP (DC, 2004)
Collects Y: The Last Man Nos. 11-17 (cover dates July, 2003- February, 2004)

Y: THE LAST MAN VOL. 4: SAFEWORD (DC, 2004)
Collects Y: The Last Man Nos. 18-23 (cover dates March- August, 2004)

Y: THE LAST MAN VOL. 5: RING OF TRUTH (DC, 2005)
Collects Y: The Last Man Nos. 24-31 (cover dates September, 2004- April, 2005)

Y: THE LAST MAN VOL. 6: GIRL ON GIRL (DC, 2005)
Collects Y: The Last Man Nos. 32-36 (cover dates June- October, 2005)

Brian K. Vaughn and Pia Guerra rule! I am, for the most part, a Marvelite, but a friend loaned me the first trade to read. I enjoyed it so much that when he offered to sell me the first six trades so that he could upgrade to the hardcovers I jumped at it. You know that a series is compelling when you think about what is going on for a good twenty minutes or more after you finish an issue. What would I do if I were the last man on Earth? I can't say that I would be quite as honorable as Yorrick if I were single!

GRIMM FAIRY TALES VOLUME 1 & 2(Zenescope, 2008)

Collects Grimm Fairy Tales Nos. 1-12 and Grimm Fairy Tales 2007 Annual (cover dates June, 2005- September, 2007). 

This is a really good series by Zenescope that everyone should check out. These are adaptations of the original, gruesome Grimm Fairy Tales presented in an ongoing anthology format. This hardcover collects the first two softcovers, and rather than call this Vol. 1 hardcover, it is Vols. 1 & 2 hardcover. Bizarre.

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: THE HOUSE OF SECRETS VOL. 1 (DC, 2008)

Collects The House of Secrets Nos. 81-98 (cover dates September, 1969- July, 1972)

This was the sister series to House of Mystery, and has lots of Silver Age greats contributing to this series: Gerry Conway, Neal Adams, Wally Wood, Bernie Wrightson, Len Wein, Don Heck, and Gil Kane. Like every other 'phone book' out there, I wish that this series was collected in full color hardcovers, but I'll take what I can get. This series is most famous for 1971's issue 92, which featured the first appearance of the Swamp Thing. I am really a sucker for old Horror comic anthologies, and wish that Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, etc., would crank out more of these.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE DEATH OF CAPTAIN AMERICA VOL. 2: THE BURDEN OF DREAMS (Marvel, 2008)

Collects Captain America (Vol. 5) Nos. 31-36 (cover dates December, 2007- May, 2008)

I have a secret to share with you: aside from the stray issue during the '80s and the Golden Age Masterworks, I was never much of a Captain America fan. Sure, I had the old War and Remembrance trade that collected the whole of the brilliant Roger Stern/ John Byrne era in all of its glory, and I have always enjoyed Cap as an Avenger, but he always seemed too cheesy and jingoistic when I was growing up for me to ever give him a fair shake. I bought the Civil War crossover trade and was completely blown away. Then the Ed Brubaker Omnibus came out, and, lo and behold, he did something that I thought was nigh impossible: he made me into a Captain America fan. Yes, it sucks that he had to kill Cap, but I'll be damned if this isn't the best title out there right now. Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting have crafted a complex and intriguing tapestry of plotlines, with unexpected twists and turns becoming the norm. Their take on the character easily ranks right up there with the very short-lived collaboration of Stan Lee and Jim Steranko or the aforementioned brilliance of Stern and Byrne. I cannot recommend this title enough, so what else do you want me to do, buy it for you for Christmas? Go out and get it already!