For months, fans have known that one would rise to lead mutants, one might be their savior and another would betray them—and the traitor’s true identity will leave you speechless! In X-Men #206, featuring Chapter 9 of Messiah CompleX, the X-Men, Cable, The Purifiers and Reavers must all pick up the pieces from their recent conflicts. Who lives? Who dies? And just what does this all mean for the mutant child at the heart of this hunt?

Then in Uncanny X-Men #494, featuring Messiah CompleX Chapter 10, still reeling from the shocking revelations of Chapter 9, the all new X-Force does battle the Marauders. ‘Nuff Said, True Believer!

“This is quintessential X-Men; only these characters could be involved in this event. And that’s a testament to the guys working on it,” gushed Matt Powell of WizardUniverse.Com

Daniel Crown of IGN.Com called Messiah CompleX “easily the best X-Men crossover in over a decade.”

Marvel urges retailers to check their orders on all issues of Messiah CompleX, as all five chapters released thus far, including X-Men #205, have sold out at Diamond (though copies may be available at the retail level). Please note that Marvel currently has no plans to go back to press on X-Men #205.

As one betrays the X-Men, X-Force must find a way to defeat the Marauders, while Layla & Madrox continue their crucial journey. Who walks away alive? Find out in X-Men #206 and Uncanny X-Men #494!

Don’t miss a single chapter of Messiah CompleX!

Well, if you’re me and writing about and reviewing comics on a semi-regular basis is what you needed a break from, you stall one more month hoping for the good feelings to return before finally acknowledging the truth and writing the requisite farewell post for the 3-5 people who might still care.

In other words, it’s officially “adios” for good this time!

To the comics internet, at least. I’m not done with comics themselves, of course; I’m just reading less of them these days and have no interest in feeling obligated to write about them, never mind writing about the incestuous and too-often petty little world of comics publishing and online fandom. Catching up on my myriad Google Reader subscriptions this weekend pretty much clinched it.

It’s been real, it’s been fun — I’ve written some things I’m proud of and made some good friends I wouldn’t have otherwise — but not unlike the break from poetry that ultimately led me to reading comics again and eventually writing about them, things have come full circle and I’m going back to my first true love. More importantly, I’m taking the next big step in our relationship and building us a new home, aka the NYC-centric online literary journal I’m officially launching in January 2008 called Spindle.

To Jon, Howard, Rich, Adan, Matt and my other fellow writers here at PopCultureShock, past and present; and everyone who ever left a comment or dropped me a backchannel email, positive or negative: thanks for everything — the camaraderie, the support, the feedback, and most importantly, the passion each of you brought to the site. PCS will always be my online home for comics and I plan to check in more often now that the guilt over not carrying my weight the past few months will be lifted!

An extra-special shout-out to Katherine and Erin, whose insightful coverage gave me some helpful direction in my still nascent exploration of manga (I’m officially hooked on Eden and Planetes!) and made it that much easier to kick the Marvel/DC habit that was draining my wallet and tainting my appreciation of the form.

Remember, reading comics you don’t enjoy is stupid. It’s like drinking Budweiser or Coors just because they’re cheaper than Magic Hat.*

Don’t be stupid!

Love,
Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
PCS, 2005-2007

*NOTE: Like certain Essential and Showcase volumes, there’s always a time and place for a cold PBR!

I’m still reading comics, of course, just feeling less and less inclined to write anything about them.

Here’s a quick list of titles I’ve enjoyed recently and would recommend via legitimate reviews if I had the time:

The Aviary by Jamie Tanner
Blokhedz: Genesis Vol. 1 by Mark & Mike Davis and Brandon Schultz
EDEN: It’s an Endless World Vol. 1 by Horiki Endo
Marvel Adventures: The Avengers Vols. 1-3 by Jeff Parker, Tony Bedard, Manuel Garcia, Shannon Gallant and Juan Santacruz
Maxwell Strangewell by The Fillbach Brothers
Notes for a War Story by Gipi
Planetes Vol. 1 by Makoto Yukimura
Poison the Cure #1 by Jad Ziade and Alex Cahill
Skinwalker by Nunzio DeFillipis, Christina Weir, Brian Hurtt and Arthur de la Cruz

Good reads one and all and highly recommended to anyone looking to add something new and interesting to their bookshelves.

See y’all soon!

Have you seen Ratatouille yet? Amazing! Brad Bird’s a genius, bringing more humanity to his CGI creations than most directors bring to their live action efforts. It’s Pixar’s best yet, beating out previous faves The Incredibles and Finding Nemo, in spite of the whole rat thing still not quite working for me. (Ick!) I had my doubts going in, thinking it might be their first bomb — relatively speaking, that is — but now I think it’s going to have the kind of legs none of the other summer sequels have had and end up posting some very nice box office numbers.

You know what ongoing comics are working for me like Ratatouille did these days? Very few. :-(

That said, here’s my weekly look at select comic books being released Thursday, 7/5/07. The full shipping list, as always, is available at ComicList.

[NOTE: Not all of these titles will actually arrive in all stores. If your LCBS offers a pre-ordering service, be sure to take advantage of it. If not, find another one; or try Khepri.com or MidtownComics.com]

PICK OF THE WEEK

GI Joe: Americas Elite #25 (Devil’s Due)

DEVILS DUE PUBLISHING
GI Joe Americas Elite #25, $3.50

It’s not that I’m tired of the “Big Event”, because I’m totally looking forward to “World War III” in the GIJU. The difference? It’s self-contained, it’s taking place within an ongoing series that I’ve already been enjoying, and it makes sense within the context of the series to-date. As long as Devil’s Due doesn’t get crazy with the spin-offs, I’m onboard for the full ride.

IMAGE COMICS
Dynamo 5 #5, $3.50

This new series continues to be one of the best superhero titles on the shelves these days, having quickly established its intriguing premise, appealing cast and distinctive identity, offering a worthwhile alternative to spandex fans looking for something new. Highly recommended!

MARVEL COMICS
Essential Defenders Vol 3 TPB, $16.99
Fantastic Four And Power Pack #1 (of 4), $2.99
Ptolus City By The Spire Vol 1 TPB, $14.99

I’ve always had a soft spot for the Defenders, and I’d much rather read their verbose, over-the-top adventures from back in the day than any of the new superhero teams running around in today’s Marvel Universe. Except, of course, for the Marvel Adventures stuff, which the Power Pack minis aren’t technically part of but really, they should be. *** Ptolus is apparently like the Absolute New Frontier of D&D, and I was intrigued by the Dabel Bros. imprint before they hooked up with Marvel, so this seems like something that’s right up my alley.

TOKYOPOP / VIZ COMMUNICATIONS

Seeing as I skipped my weekly pick-up last week since there wasn’t much of interest, and this week isn’t looking all that great, either, I’ve decided to pick up two new manga from among these choices: iD_eNTITY, Chrono Crusade, Bizenghast and Berserk (Dark Horse). Which one would you recommend most?

URBAN MINISTRIES INC
Genesis Five #3, $2.99
Joe & Max #3, $2.99
Seekers #2, $2.99

The Guardian Line’s bi-monthly schedule can apparently be interpreted as loosely as the whole God made everything in six days and chilled on the seventh. Nevertheless, my two favorites — Joe & Max and Seekers — have some real potential and I’m hoping they get on track sooner rather than later before retailers loose patience with them and they completely fall off of my radar. The direct market may not be their primary audience, but it’s the only place I’m likely ever going to be able to pick them up.

Dan Didio’s DCU is dead in the water and overdue for a dramatic overhaul.

The Beat has posted Paul O’Brien’s analysis of Marvel’s sales figures for May, and he sums it up this way: “With all their big sellers hitting the shelves, Marvel slaughtered DC, with a margin of 47% to 31% in unit share, and 43% to 28% in dollar share.”

It’s the continuation of a trend that seems to be getting worse every month as Marvel, playing the same Big Event game over the past couple of years, has steadily distanced themselves from their not-as-Distinguished-as-they-used-to-be Competition in the Direct Market. DC only managed to place 6 titles in the Top 20 for May — only 3 of which sold over 100,000 copies; 2 of them being All Star Batman & Robin and the final issue of 52. The former exists in its own little pocket of space and time, while the latter was the epitome of “lightning in a bottle” and its follow-up, Countdown, is clearly not going to come anywhere near to matching its success.

And yet, if Rich Johnston is to be believed, Dan Didio’s contract got renewed!?!

The best thing Paul Levitz could do now is have Countdown’s final issue end with Earth-2 Superman stepping out of the shower to the revelation that the past 20 years [real time] have all been a dream. Couple that with an announcement that Didio’s been fired and an immediate line-wide relaunch with all but Superman, Batman and Detective Comics restarting at #1, and you’ve got the kind of clean slate, hard reboot that will get media attention, pique reader interest — old and new — and give DC a shot at not just stopping the bleeding but pumping some life back into its superhero line.

It’ll never happen, of course, but wouldn’t it be great to see them have the courage to attempt it?

I finally made it to MoCCA this past weekend and while it was a good time, it reinforced the sense that I’m steadily drifting towards becoming a casual comics reader with little interest in blogging on a regular basis. I’ll have a write-up later this week, including my impressions of the Comics Foundry preview and how its success or failure will play into the future of comics. [insert dramatic cliffhanger music here…]

Without further ado, here’s my weekly look at select comic books being released Wednesday, 6/27/07. The full shipping list, as always, is available at ComicList. (Note: For the “just the facts, ma’am” crowd, ComicList impresario Charles LePage has launched a no-frills version of his invaluable list called The Bullpen Bulletin.)

[NOTE: Not all of these titles will actually arrive in all stores. If your LCBS offers a pre-ordering service, be sure to take advantage of it. If not, find another one; or try Khepri.com or MidtownComics.com]

PICK OF THE WEEK*

Showcase Presents: Batman Vol 2 (DC Comics)

ANDREWS AND MCMEEL
Harry Potter Order of Phoenix 2008 Wall Calendar, $13.99

Like with Buffy, I swear I’m the only comics fan who doesn’t give a hoot about Harry. I saw the first movie, and while it was entertaining enough, I just don’t get the fuss and have never had any interest in the reading the books despite them seemingly being right up my alley.

CINEFANTASTIQUE
Geek Monthly #5, $5.99

I’m giving this magazine one more shot to impress me, especially since the Comics Foundry preview assured me that it isn’t going to be the comics-friendly “lifestyle” magazine I’d like to see. Based on the Kirsten Bell issue and their web site, though, my expectations are very low.

DC COMICS
Showcase Presents Batman Vol 2 TPB, $16.99

Thanks to “One Year Later”, Grant Morrison, and an increasing lack of interest in the current DCU, Showcase becomes one of the few ways I can still get my Batman fix without feeling like a hypocrite.

DEVILS DUE PUBLISHING
GI Joe Special Missions Vol 1 TPB, $18.99

The Special Missions one-shots have been fun reads, featuring many of the side Joes who haven’t been a part of the main America’s Elite title over its first two years. As “World War III” is about to break out, I suspect many of those characters will have cameos, so this collection will serve as a good primer for anyone jumping onboard now.

IDW PUBLISHING
Fallen Angel IDW #17, $3.99

I remember a few years back when I wouldn’t buy any IDW comics on principle because they were so much more expensive than the average comic. Fallen Angel forced me to reevaluate that stance on a case-by-case basis (as did Devil’s Due’s across-the-board price increases), judging a book by its value instead, and 17 issues later, I’m glad I did.

LOBRAU PRODUCTIONS INC
Collected Toupydoops TPB, $14.95

One of several comics on my to-review pile — which I swear I’m on the verge of plowing through in the next week or two! — I’m about halfway through it and so far it’s an entertaining sitcom built around an intriguing premise, well-drawn and deserving of at least a flip-through.

* POTW DISCLAIMER: My “Pick of the Week” doesn’t necessarily mean I think something is good, only that it’s worth a look. In some cases it may be the most intriguing release of the week for all the wrong reasons. My actual comments about the book in question will usually reveal the reason for my picking it.

(via ACK)

I’ve barely been a casual gamer since Sony first stormed the scene in the mid-90s, but I’ve always had a somewhat irrational disdain for their Playstation, often equating it to Budweiser, and its lemming-like fans to those who, thanks to a marketing budget that rivals the GDP of more than half of the countries of the world combined, believe that pisswater beer is actually the “King of Beers”. So I’ve been watching gleefully from the sidelines as the PS3 has turned out to be a relative dud for them while the Wii and Xbox 360 have surpassed it on the sales charts, and this mock video set to The Fray’s “How to Save a Life” is right up my alley.

The MoCCA Art Festival is this weekend, and after missing out the last two years, I’m finally going to make it this year. I’ll be taking my son, Isaac, with me on Saturday, and am looking forward to checking out what’s what from the impressive roster of exhibitors and creators, particularly these:

Exhibitors
AdHouse Books, First Second Books, Friends of Lulu New York Chapter, NBM Publishing, Pantheon

Creators
Jessica Abel, Ivan Brandon, Alex Cahill, Tania del Rio, Ryan Dunlavey, Keith Knight, Ken Knudtsen, Andy MacDonald, Richard J. Marcej, Bryan Lee O’Malley, Bill Sienkiewicz, Fred Van Lente.

I won’t be attending any of the side programming, but I do want to swing by MoCCA itself to check out their library which has put out a call for donations. If I end up driving in, I’ll be bringing along a stack of TPBs and OGNs I’m too lazy to list on Ebay. While I’m there, I’ll also finally join as a member, something I haven’t done yet because of their lack of an online submission form. I barely get our rent check in the mail on time, never mind relatively non-essential mailings! :-(

I was disappointed to see Debbie Huey won’t be in town since it was at MoCCA (via Jon’s coverage her on PCS) that I first encountered Bumperboy, which became the first official Gonzalez Family Favorite from the world of comics, and I was hoping to get to meet her in person and introduce her to Isaac. Instead, I’ll be on the lookout for the next Bumperboy, and hopefully doing a write-up on the trip, if for no other reason than I need to be posting more than once a week here!

Anyone else attending on Saturday?

I don’t know if it’s just the nice weather, or the fact that I’m slowly edging my way back into the poetry scene and focusing on my own writing again, or that I’m buying less and less floppies and more TPBs these days, but my interest in comics has faded to that of a more casual reader. It’s not the first time, not by a long shot, but it feels less whimsical, more transitional this time around. Ironically, it was my fading interest in the poetry scene that got me back into reading comics in the first place, so it will be interesting to see if the two can peacefully co-exist, or if comics (or blogging about them, at least) will get kicked to the curb.

With that huge caveat emptor, here’s my weekly look at select comic books being released Wednesday, 6/20/07. The full shipping list, as always, is available at ComicList. (Note: For the “just the facts, ma’am” crowd, ComicList impresario Charles LePage has launched a no-frills version of his invaluable list called The Bullpen Bulletin.)

[NOTE: Not all of these titles will actually arrive in all stores. If your LCBS offers a pre-ordering service, be sure to take advantage of it. If not, find another one; or try Khepri.com or MidtownComics.com]

PICK OF THE WEEK*

Banzai Girl (Arcana Comics)

ARCANA STUDIO
Banzai Girl Manga Vol 1 TPB, $9.99
Banzai Girls #1, $3.95

Even as my tastes have drastically changed over the years, I’ll always have a soft spot for Arcana Studio (now called Arcana Comics), publishers of 100 Girls and Ezra, two of my favorite, non-Marvel/DC titles from a few years back when I started reading comics again. The former remains a personal favorite, while the latter (a “guilty pleasure” for which I have no guilt) garnered me my first significant blurb, which they used in Previews, miscrediting me as comiccommentary.com, which led to my registering the URL. My two-part interview with their publisher, Sean O’Reilly, was also my first “big” (in length, at least) interview. Sadly, I haven’t picked up an Arcana title in over a year now (Jova’s Harvest and/or El Arsenal) as they seem to have shifted towards a T&A art style for the majority of their releases, but Banzai Girl caught my eye for the interesting fact that its creator represents an interesting “Wha…Huh?!?” figure in light of recent events in the industry: “Its author is Jinky Coronado, who is also its artist, its main character, and its photo cover model. Jinky already has a burgeoning career as a calendar and lingerie FHM model, a recording artist (her music CD, the appropriately-titled BANZAI GIRLS), has just been released, and artist for TokyoPop’s upcoming AVALON HIGH project with best-selling author Meg Cabot.” Interesting enough to get me to give this a looksee, at least.

DARK HORSE COMICS
Conan #41, $2.99

I was talking to my father-in-law this weekend about Conan as he was thumbing through my copy of Conan and the Midnight God #5, and he was saying how much he loved the two TPBs I’ve bought him so far — Volume 2 of the main series and the over-the-top Conan and the Songs of the Dead — and couldn’t wait to read more. I’ve been thinking I was going to switch to TPB-only for the spin-offs after Midnight God, and after #50 for the main series, but our conversation made me realize how much I’m actually enjoying having a regular dose of Conan and how long the wait between TPBs can be. It helps to get an unjaded take on things every now and then.

DC COMICS
Countdown #45, $2.99
Flash The Fastest Man Alive #13, $2.99

I’m not buying either of these titles, but they stood out for me this week in light of the rumor that, despite having so many good reasons to let him go, DC is renewing Dan Didio’s contract. The former’s sales are tanking quickly in comparison to the surprisingly strong-legged 52, while the latter is arguably the highest-profile “One Year Later” disaster in a rather competitive field. One of the less talked about side effects of a lucrative segment of the industry being so dominated by two publishers is that the talent pool for editorial management is depressingly shallow, and the two main players are understandably skittish about making any significant moves that might upset the apple cart. My guess is Didio got a Tom Coughlin-like extension that gives him just enough rope to finish hanging himself (another year, tops) while allowing DC time to do some behind-the-scenes maneuvering that will lessen the impact of his inevitable departure.

DEVILS DUE PUBLISHING
GI Joe Storm Shadow #2, $3.50

The first issue was a solid introduction, setting a distinctive tone that separates it from the primary America’s Elite title while still playing in a recognizable sandbox.

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
Savage Tales #2, $4.99

Generally speaking, I like anthology comics, especially when there’s a unifying theme, and the first issue of Savage Tales was well worth the $5 cover price.

IMAGE COMICS
Madame Mirage Greg Horn Cvr A #1, $2.99
Strange Girl Vol 3 TPB, $15.99

Never having watched whichever Batman cartoon Paul Dini is best-known for, I don’t have the fanatical love for him that many Batman fans seem to, so his run on Detective Comics, while solid, was a lot easier to give up after reading the first issue of the incredibly boring Countdown, and seeing the T&A art style he went with for his creator-owned Madame Mirage title. *** Strange Girl is wrapping up much sooner than I’d like — and from the pace of the last few issues, I’m guessing a tad sooner than planned — but it’s been a good run and it’s always better to go out on top, so kudos to Rick Remender and his artistic cast of thousands for putting out one of the best comics of the past few years. If you slept on it, I highly recommend that you pick up the TPBs.

MARVEL COMICS
Amazing Spider-Man #541, $2.99
Marvel Adventures Avengers Vol 3 Digest TPB, $6.99
Moon Knight #11 CWI, $2.99

While I doubt the thrice-a-month schedule will last long, I think having one primary Spider-Man title is a great idea, as is the TV-like crew of writers and artists. Schedule a few mini-series and one-shots throughout the year, a mix of in-continuity and standalone stories, and that’s a winning formula for putting your franchise character near the top of the sales charts on a monthly basis without depending on overblown crossovers, tie-ins and world-changing events every six months. *** The first two digests of Marvel Adventures: Avengers have been some of the best team comics Marvel’s published since the first arc of Young Avengers. It is also an exception to my no current Marvel/DC rule. *** It will be tough not picking up Moon Knight this week, but Mico Suayan’s terrible artwork in his first two issues made it an easier decision.

NBM
Tales From The Crypt #1, $3.95

I’m curious to see how they’ll pull this off as an all-ages offering.

PUTNAM PUBLISHING GROUP
52 the Novel TPB, $15.00

I would not want to meet anyone who’d read this in a dark alley. The temptation to beat them up and take their lunch money would be too much to resist.

VIRGIN COMICS LLC
Devi TPB, $14.99
John Woos Seven Brothers TPB, $14.99
Snakewoman TPB, $14.99

I believe these represent Virgin’s first TPBs, a welcome sight that will get me to give a couple of their titles a second look, particularly Snakewoman, which piqued my interest ever so slightly with its first issue before completely dropping off my radar.

My weekly look at select comic books being released Wednesday, 6/13/07. The full shipping list, as always, is available at ComicList.

[NOTE: Not all of these titles will actually arrive in all stores. If your LCBS offers a pre-ordering service, be sure to take advantage of it. If not, find another one; or try Khepri.com or MidtownComics.com]

PICK OF THE WEEK

Aviary (AdHouse Books)

ADHOUSE BOOKS
Aviary, $12.95

If AdHouse publishes it, it’s always worth a look, and the description of this one is certainly intriguing: “Enter the strange world of the Quiet Bird-Man; a world of mysterious corporations, foul-mouthed robots, drunken ghosts, amputee comedians, wealthy simian pornographers and canine scientists; a world of disasters, murders and masquerade balls.” Between AdHouse’s stellar track record of high quality, off-beat comics, and a very reasonable sticker price for a 312-page story, that’s enough to get me to give it a try and recommend it to others! Especially in what appears to be a surprisingly light week, even for me.

DARK HORSE
Conan and the Midnight God #4 (of 5), $2.99
Star Wars: Legacy #13–Ready to Die, $2.99

Conan spinoffs remain as strong, if not stronger, than the main series, and Midnight God has been a solid read, but I’m getting very close to switching to TPBs for them as I continue to slash my pull list. *** Star Wars: Legacy, on the other hand, continues to be a monthly pull and has actually gotten me to start checking out some of the older Star Wars comics in TPB, with Dark Empire I & II being first up to bat. (Both were solid, and have some connections to Legacy, but I think I’ll likely stick to Boba Fett and Han Solo stories for future sampling.)

DC COMICS
Fables Vol 9 Sons Of Empire TPB, $17.99
Gotham Central TPB Vol 5: Dead Robin, $17.99

Fables is one exception to my “No current-Marvel/DC” rule (Marvel’s Power Pack minis and Marvel Adventures: Avengers digests are the others) as it’s one of the best things either of them publish and my decision to cut the vast majority of their output from my pull isn’t like a hunger strike or anything. I have to say, though, that it’s done wonders for my weekly discretionary cash flow, and has enabled me to pick up more OGNs and TPBs of stuff I’ve been eyeballing for a while but couldn’t afford.

IMAGE COMICS
Death Jr Vol 2 TPB, $14.99

I loved the first volume, which I bought as “floppies”, but I was waiting for the trade on this one. Still haven’t picked up the videogame, but that’s primarily because I have zero time to play videogames and have a backlog as it is.

MARVEL COMICS
New Avengers #31 CWI, $2.99

The beauty of not buying any of Marvel’s stuff anymore is that the majority of the writing on their core books is so plot-driven that I can still follow along online and piece together what’s happening from reviews and commentary on various blogs. All the concerns over sexism and lack of miniorities, etc., plae in comparison to the simple fact that most of their comics suck. It’s kind of like complaining that the younger Wayans’ brothers movies reinforce negative stereotypes. Sure they do, but for the audience they appeal to, they’re the hangover, not the drinking problem.

TITAN
Greys Anatomy Magazine Special #3, $9.99

I’m not actually buying this issue, but its release allows me to slip in a comment on Isaiah Washington’s being fired from Grey’s Anatomy, allegedly because of his calling castmate T.R. Knight a homophobic slur on-set last season, the reporting of which pushed Knight out of the closet. If you didn’t think they were going to do it before the season finale, you knew it was coming when his character bailed on the wedding and disappeared. While they handled it pretty well in context, it was rather unexpected and felt like a pretty sudden and dramatic shift in direction. It’s particularly unfortunate because it was a great role for the tempermental actor, who I always suspected was only partly acting when it came to the incredibly tense personality of his character, Preston Burke, which made the slur and his subsequent comments about it that much more offensive. It’ll be interesting to see how they handle his departure on the show next season, one of many plates Shonda Rhimes shattered in the finale that will need to be pieced together again.

TOKYOPOP

An offhand comment from PCS’ own manga guru, Katherine Dacey-Tsuei, tipped me off to Planetes, the first volume of which I picked up recently and enjoyed, only to be disappointed the following week to see Midtown didn’t have the second volume in stock. It’s available via Tokyopop’s site, but I hate ordering just one book, and I don’t want to order more than the next two volumes, so if anyone has any suggestions for something you think I’d like, hit me up.